


A Queen for a King

by Luna_Roe



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Drama, Drama & Romance, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff and Angst, How Do I Tag, Love, Multi, Not Canon Compliant, Sacrifice, Spoilers, The Title Tells the Ending, it's pretty obvious
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-18
Updated: 2019-07-03
Packaged: 2019-11-23 12:01:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 31,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18151622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luna_Roe/pseuds/Luna_Roe
Summary: A sacrifice demanded. A debt to be paid. In the end all the sorrow, love, pain, and joy would equal the sum of the debt. In the wake of the payment made, the debt cleared, the True King will finally take his rightful place.





	1. Queen Malin

**Author's Note:**

> So, as I have played this game, one MAJOR thing sticks out to me. Even though it's valiant to self-sacrifice for the sake of the many, that still leaves a kingdom with no ruler. It leaves an entire people on their own in absolute chaos and ruin. So, this is my mind's way of fixing it. I hope you enjoy this journey in to my mind that refused to sleep until I wrote this out!
> 
> Thanks,  
> Luna

Shivering slightly at the temperature of the cave we had entered, I wrapped my arms tighter around myself, “Why is it always in a cave?” Ever since Cor told us about the powers Noct could have as King we had found four tombs. This was the fifth one we were looking for and damnit all, it was hidden away in ANOTHER cave system.

From my side I felt an arm snake around my shoulders and a pair of hands set to rubbing my arms, “I don’t know, but we need to stop in town after this and get you a real jacket.” It was Prompto. The proximity of him to me was shocking, but not unwelcome. If I was to be completely honest, I had formed quite the crush on him back in school. But he was always Noct’s friend, so I never did anything about it. As we grew, I assumed I had outgrown the crush. Now, though, with him holding me like he was, it appeared that the crush was still there.

“Thanks. But speak for yourself.” I retorted as I poked his bare arms. He was just as cold as I was, if not more. But the blush that spread on my face was unmistakable.

Unless you were Prompto. “You sure about that? Your face is all rosy from the cold.” He stated as he tapped a finger on my nose to emphasize his point. I couldn’t handle the proximity anymore and elbowed him gently away from me a foot or two. He laughed, assuming I was embarrassed by my being cold.

“Uh, Prompto….” Gladio started but I cut them all off with a scream. The floor gave way under me, sending me in to a dark abyss with no end in sight. My body collided with the jagged sides of the chasm’s walls, cutting my exposed arms, shoulders, and face. Even in my panic, I had the sense to cover my face after the first scratch. I couldn’t help the second scream that escaped me as I called out, “PROMPTO!”

It was just like in the movies. As the bottom of the chasm came in to view, I realized I was going too fast! In a matter of a second, I smacked the bottom and the lights cut out.

~~

_Running around the courtyard I let out a loud giggle as Noct caught up to me, tackling me to the ground. It had been so long since we could just play and enjoy the day. We were growing to be young adults, ready to take on the world, but still held the wonder of childhood in our hearts._

_“Don’t worry Nev, I’ll save you!” Yelled Prompto as he ran up to us, prying me from Noct’s grasp. In a quick swoosh, he held me in his arms like a bride and began running away with me. The girl inside me squealed as the boy I had a flirtatious crush on held me close. The woman in me chastised the girl._

_“Save the Princess!” Yelled Noct. As Noct rushed after us, Gladio joined in. In a large, dramatic display of folly Prompto fell down. As he fell, my body was taken from his arms and hoisted to sit atop Gladio’s shoulder._

_“Nev!” Prompto yelled as he placed his hand over his heart, as if Noct had stabbed him. I held back more giggles as Prompto added, “Never forget me, Princess!”_

_I reached for him and yelled back, “Never, my love! I will always remember you!”_

_The three of us laughed after a fake moment of dramatic silence. It was childish of us to play like that, but it had been so much fun! Noct helped Prompto off the ground and joined Gladio was he made his way to the palace doors, “Come on guys, let’s go get lunch.”_

_As we made it to the doors, we saw Ignis smiling in awe at us, his head shaking slightly. “Will you three ever grow up?” His tone was joking, not really meaning to chastise us._

_I smiled from Gladio’s shoulder, “Probably not.”_

_~~_

Waking with a groan I dared to open my eyes. The space I found myself in was dark, no light was around and there were no sounds other than my groans echoing against the chasm walls. Reaching for the light on my jacket my pupils stung with the immediate light. I could feel them painfully contract, restricting the amount of light that entered my poor eyes, I could see the area I had fallen from. How far was it? Considering that I couldn’t even see the top of the small channel I had come through it had been quite the fall.

“Just my luck.” I muttered and began the process of checking my body for any major injury. Luckily, there wasn’t anything too bad. Nothing to keep me from moving, at least. After the quick assessment, I stood and began walking in the only direction that wasn’t caved in from my fall and prayed that it was the way out.

_~~_

_“The last-born child, the final hope._

_A father’s prayer unanswered._

_In the morn, he woke to find,_

_His chance for an heir had shattered.”_

_~~_

I walked up to the door, realizing that the ancient script was referring to Queen Malin. The first Queen of Lucis to die under mysterious circumstances. Not long after she gave birth for the fifth time her ladies found her dead in her chamber, her head split wide open. I studied her, read every book I could find on her life. She was a Queen of Lucis, the fact no one knew what happened struck me as odd. I knew she had been killed by someone in the palace. But with the amount of time that had passed since she had been killed, nearly three hundred years, there was no way to find out.

The door was intricately carved, beautiful scenes of the ocean decorated it and the walls surrounding. With each step, my breathing quickened. Was it really her final resting place? Had I really stumbled upon Queen Malin?

When I raised my hand, intending to inspect the carvings on the door, the ring on my index finger began to glow. As it glowed brighter and brighter, I began to panic. Why was the ring my mother had given me glowing at the entrance to an ancient Queen’s tomb?

The door creaked and moved! It began to open as the ring glowed with an intensity that frightened me, nearly rendering my flashlight obsolete.

Once the dust settled after the doors widened all the way, I was met with a sight that should have terrified me. There, standing in all the glory that was owed to a Queen of Lucis, was the ethereal form of a woman. She stood, more like hovered, gracefully and smiled, her hands folded in front of her. Her face, though it boasted a smile, was sad.

I entered, and whispered, “Queen Malin?” Her head dipped in acknowledgement. As I entered the tomb, not daring to take in the sights around for fear of losing sight of the ethereal being, I asked the question that I had wanted to ask her for nearly a decade, “Who killed you?”

The doors behind me slammed shut, making me jump. The being before me, the ghost of Queen Malin, sighed and spoke, her voice sounding as if she were far away, “Dear one, you know not what trials lay ahead of you. Brace yourself, claiming the weapons of the Lucian Queens requires a price no man could pay.”

This made me shiver. My arms wrapped around me as I asked, “What do you mean?”

She saddened more, her eyes crying out to me, “Our Kings are asked to give their lives for their people. They are asked to die. Our Queens, however, are asked to endure.” I watched as her form moved, taking her to the right side of the tomb, “To claim the powers of Queens past, you must endure the final moments of each one. You, dear one, must live with the memories and the knowledge that follows for the rest of your days.”

I watched her, her form seeming to hover above the ground. Her hand ghosted over stone. Squinting to look at what the stone was I felt my heart stop. It was a child’s sarcophagus. Before I knew it, the room was spinning and Queen Malin’s words echoed in my head, “Steel yourself, dear one. My last moments will not be kind to you.”

~~

_My body began to fail me. How long had it been since my water had broken? I couldn’t remember, all sense of time had left me as I felt the pains of childbirth. My ladies surrounded me, the midwives fussing over me, demanding I push. Push with what energy? I had no strength left!_

_“My Queen, please, you must push. Push or the child will die!” Yelled the midwife. Fear gripped her face as she felt for the child inside me._

_My ladies propped me up as another contraction hit. One held my hand and spoke gently, “Push, my lady. Push.” She began breathing with me. After the short period between contractions was over, I held my breath as she counted for me, “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, and breath.”_

_The midwives continued encouraging, demanding I push. I just couldn’t do it, “I can’t!” I screamed as my body hurt. My life was slipping away. My child was dying! I screamed out, “Save my baby! Save him! Cut him out! Save my son!”_

_The entirety of the room fell in silence. A single midwife stood and left the room. No doubt to ask my husband for permission. It was coming down to the wire. If they didn’t do something, and quick, the baby inside me would die. Too much rested on this birth. Too much rested on this child being born healthy, safe, and born a boy._

_I felt my consciousness leave me, unable to stay awake. Distantly, I heard someone beg me to stay awake. It was a request I was unable to do._

_~~_

_I awoke to strong arms holding me down. The sudden abrupt sensation woke me just as a piercing pain struck my abdomen. My eyes shot open, a scream ripping from my lungs, as I realized they had done what I asked: they were cutting my child from my belly._

_I heard the doctor apologizing to me, profusely. He never once stopped apologizing as he worked through my skin, muscle, and fat. I could feel it all, feel every stinging shot of pain. Every single time he moved an organ inside of me, I could feel it. Then, the final barrier, I felt the doctor cutting my uterus open._

_My screams grew louder and louder, my body instinctively trying to curl in on itself to protect my child. My ladies and some poor guards were holding me still. When my screams turned to pure agony-filled screeching, one of my ladies shoved a piece of cloth in my mouth. I bit down on it, still screaming. The effect was had; however, my cries were muffled. They wouldn’t carry across the palace any longer._

_After an agonizingly long amount of time, the doctor smiled as he lifted my child from the carved-up carcass that was my body, “Congratulations, your majesty. A beautiful baby girl.”_

_In that instant, though I felt happiness and joy beyond expression for my child being alive, my world shattered. A girl… he wanted a boy… the long-awaited boy to continue the family’s reign. But I had given him not the boy he wanted, but another girl. It had been a miracle that at my age I had fallen pregnant again. There would not be another pregnancy from me…_

_My principle lady instructed for the child to be tended to in another room as I began to cry. I was in pain, carved up, and was not likely to recover from the trauma of the birth. The doctor saddened, realizing the turmoil that had just spiraled in to existence with a single baby girl’s birth._

_Another of my ladies attempted to console me as another doctor began to piece me back together. As I cried and wailed in sorrow and fear, I finally lost consciousness._

_~~_

_While I lay unconscious, the doctor put me back together. He instructed plenty of rest and liquids as I had lost too much blood during labor. My ladies took turns staying by my side and tending the new princess. It was a sad day. Everyone should be celebrating the birth of another royal child, but instead, no one was willing to be happy for the little girl. She was supposed to be a boy. The long-awaited prince that the kingdom was waiting for._

_Late in to the night, one of the ladies tending me noticed a red liquid pooling in the bed. She flung the blankets back and noticed I was bleeding, heavily. She screamed for the midwives, instructing a guard to fetch the doctor and inform the king, she returned to my side. I lay unconscious through it all._

_As the hours passed, the bleeding subsided slightly, but wouldn’t stop. No doubt about it, it was child-bed fever._

_In a rare moment of lucidity, I opened my eyes. Seeing my principle lady, I whispered out, “Bring me my daughter. I wish to see her one last time.”_

_She nodded and stood to leave. As she made it to the door, we were met with the sight of my husband. He had finally returned to the palace from his hunting trip. He was covered in mud and blood. His eyes wild from his hunt, a sadness hidden behind the bright blue orbs._

_“Your majesty.” My lady said as she bowed low._

_He nodded to her, passing her without a word. He made his way to me and said, “Wife.”_

_A tear rolled down my face as I weakly raised a hand to him, “My love, stay with me.”_

_My lady left, knowing that there was little time for the two of us. My husband walked to me, but not close enough to take my hand. His hands balled in to fists as he took in the bloodied sight of me, “Boy or girl?”_

_My eyes closed, tears rolling down my face freely now. I didn’t need to answer him. He knew what my tears meant. His sadness mixed instantly with anger as he turned away from me. I chocked back a sob and begged him, “My love, please. I’m dying. Stay with me, please.”_

_His body began convulsing, sending mud flinging to the ground around him. After a few seconds of that he began to speak, still not facing me, “A girl then. You have given me **another** girl. What use could I possibly find for **another** girl?” He yelled the final word, hate and venom lacing it. The hatred in his voice made me shrink from him, ashamed of myself instantly. I had failed to give him what he wanted. But how was I to know? How was I to influence what gender our child would be? No now was able to do that! _

_“My love….” I ventured, feeling my vision fading and fear gripping my heart._

_He lost it, completely. With what was left of my fading vision I saw him reach for his hunting axe and spin to face me. I looked him in the eyes as he let out a war-cry. In a pain-filled flash, my world went black._

_~~_

A screamed ripped through me as pain radiated from my abdomen and forehead. I was on the ground, laying down and alone. As my vision returned to me, and the pain subsided, my hands flew to my stomach. My baby! Wait… _my_ baby?

“Rise, Princess, and claim your right as Queen.” Came the ethereal voice of Queen Malin.

I looked to her. She was in the same place as she had been before the memory had flooded my senses. I did as she said, standing myself up and facing her square. Her face held pride as she nodded her head and offered her hands to me upturned. Before our eyes an axe appeared. The axe that had killed me… her, had killed her.

With my own hand outstretched, the weapon shone with the same purple haze that surrounds me when I warp. In an instant, the axe swirled around me and then disappeared in to my Armiger. Queen Malin’s hand ghosted my cheek as she spoke softly, “As you bear the weapon that ended my life know this: hate and rage will not change anything. If you ever find rage gripping at you or hate filling your heart, remind yourself to simply breath.”

Before my very eyes she faded away. Something in me, an ache deep in my abdomen, lingered. It felt like a part of me was walking a few steps behind my body, and that was where the ache was. Malin’s words sunk in as I began my exit from the tomb. She had said that Lucian Queens are asked to endure, a price no man could pay… Now I knew what it was. The feeling that sunk deep within me, the pain that lingered behind me… A tear rolled down my face as I realized that via the weapon I had obtained, I had also gained a memory… in a twisted way I had lost a child and been betrayed by my husband.

On my way to the surface, to find my brother and his friends, I was left with my own spiraling thoughts. What had I just experienced? What did this mean? As I made my way to what I hoped was the entrance I did so as... "Queen."

~~


	2. Queens Thora and Olina

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neveah needed answers. But who could she turn to? The only person that might know something about what had happened was the Immortal himself.

As I managed to find the tunnel that led to the entrance, I heaved a sigh of relief. It had taken what felt like hours to reach the sunlight again. As my eyes adjusted to the brightness of the world, I was met with the sight of my brother yelled at Ignis while Gladio held him back.

“She’s still in there! We have to go find her!” He yelled as he tried to rip himself from the Shield’s hold. I could tell he was trying to warp but was unable to pull it off.

“We don’t know where she is in there. If we wander aimlessly in the tunnels, we may pass her by and never know it. It’s best to stay here and wait for her to find us.” Ignis reasoned, though concern was evident in his voice.

Prompto was a ball of nerves as he bit his thumb in worry. But Gladio was the one to smile and reassure the group, “Noct, everything’s fine.”

“What do you mean everything’s fine? Nothing is fine, Gladio! What if Neveah is hurt? What if she was attacked?” Noct continued his struggles to break free of the grasp he was in. But he stopped when a flash of purple appeared before him.

I had warped to where they were and smiled, with my hands on my hips, and asked, “What if I’m right here?” Gladio dropped his hold on Noct, allowing him to lunge at me. Even though I had survived the fall with relative luck, I was still very sore. And the feeling from before… in my abdomen, wasn’t gone. It still lingered. I grunted as I hugged my brother and said, “Everything’s okay, just like Gladio said.”

“Far from it, you’re all cut up.” Ignis stated, taking in the wounds my freefall had inflicted upon my body. I was relieved that the psychological wounds were invisible, however. I wasn’t entirely sure what had just happened, and I didn’t want to speculate openly before I had more information. Ignis pulled a potion out as Noct held be at arms’ length to assess the damage. His blue eyes pierced mine, and I knew he caught the look of sadness that hung behind my eyes. My look that I shot back to him let him know to not ask.

“They’re doing that twin thing again.” Prompto said, having caught the looks between me and Noct. It was cliché, but Noct and I could communicate without words. Most of the time we only needed looks.

The potion worked its magic and soon the cuts and bruises on my body healed. My skin was once again the pale porcelain it usually was. “Thanks, Ignis.” I said as Noct let go of my arms. I knew I would be grilled by him later, but for now he dropped it.

Prompto was the next to hug me, nearly crushing my newly healed body, “I’m so happy you’re okay!” The blush from much earlier in the day returned to my face as I hugged him back. I could feel the relief in his shoulders as he kept repeating how happy he was that I was okay.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” I stated reassuringly.

“Find anything cool down there?” Gladio asked as we started for the Regalia. The potion had healed my wounds, but the lingering pain affected me suddenly. I grabbed my stomach and lurched forward. It was as if I had felt the full force of the pain again for a split second. Gladio took that for my still being injured and picked me up.

From my spot on his shoulder, a habit he had formed when holding me, I said, “Well, I found a tomb.” Everyone looked at me with a questioning face. The entire point of us going in the stupid cave was to find a tomb. It made me giggle before I expanded on my statement, “A Queen’s tomb. Queen Malin, to be exact.”

Ignis stopped short and gave me an incredulous look, “You found Queen Malin’s tomb? Did you go inside?”

I nodded, feeling slightly guilty that I wasn’t going to tell them the whole truth. At least, not just yet. I needed to find more information on what the hell had happened. I knew that Noct was able to borrow the powers of Kings past, but no one had ever told me that I had the same option… well, one person had. I just hadn’t believed them. “She’s buried there along with a child. I think it was the child she gave birth to last. It didn’t feel right to pry, so I left pretty soon after entering the tomb.”

Ignis wasn’t completely sold on my answer, but accepted, nonetheless. Gladio placed me down in the Regalia, between him and Noct, and off we went. We would go back to Lestallum and from there, pick up another hunt.

While we sat in silence, most of the guys falling asleep on the long drive back to the city, I pulled my phone out and shot out a text to the only person I knew that might be able to help me. It felt odd, contacting them, but I didn’t have many options. Once the text was sent and my phone back in my pocket, I heard Ignis say, “Something else happened in the tomb, didn’t it.”

I shot a glance at the boys, and once satisfied they were asleep, answered, “Yes.” The look Ignis shot me through the rearview mirror was one of annoyance and frustration. I sighed, shoulders sagged, and said, “I don’t have enough information yet, Specs. Give me time and I will let all of you in on what happened.”

He nodded, accepting the offer for now. Not that he had another option. After a few moments of silence he looked at me again via the mirror and with the softest eyes I had ever seen him give, said, “Rest up, I’ll wake you all when we arrive.”

As I slept, I relived the worst moment of my life.

_The sounds of the city bustling around broke me from my thoughts. It felt like so long ago that we started on this journey to Altissia. My brother was going to be married and in one-fell-swoop he would save Insomnia from an impending war. We were nearly there. Just had to get a boat and then off to Altissia we would be._

_Smiling at the young man at the news stand, I offered him a couple gil and he handed me the day’s paper. I had woken up with Iggy to get some shopping done early in the market. As Iggy finished up getting some more potions and other supplies I chomped on my donut and read the title on the front page. As soon as I did, my stomach flipped, and I dropped my donut on the ground._

_The blood in my body seemed to drain, whereto I had no idea. The world swirled around me with my vision fading from the outside in. The title couldn’t be true. It couldn’t! In a panic I look around for Ignis. I needed him to read it, I needed him to confirm that I had read it wrong._

_Ignis rounded the corner and saw me, the pale woman that was sweating in a panic. I didn’t know how he got to me so quickly, but he did. My knees gave as soon as he appeared; his arms easily caught me, however. His legs rushed us to a side street, out of the public eye, before his arms set me down._

_“Neveah, what happened?” He felt my forehead, checking for a fever. When he didn’t find one, he grew even more concerned. I just offered the paper to him, unable to speak._

_He took it, smoothing the paper out and read the title that had broken my entire reality. He forced the newly formed lump in his throat down and focused keeping his breath steady. He read the entire article, possibly multiple times, before he looked at me again. The tension between us was thick enough to cut as his shoulders sagged a bit. I didn’t know what to think of it! And though every ounce of me wanted to keep my royal composure, I wasn’t able to hold it in. I began to sob. Ignis held me. He held me while I cried in to his chest as the headline burned in my mind: **Insomnia Falls**._

~~

We had returned to Lestallum, yet no sooner had we arrive than we departed. A hunt was to be had near Hammerhead. It was perfect, considering I was able to meet with the only person I knew that might be able to shed some light on what had happened.

The boys opted to go on the hunt while I offered to resupply our inventory. It hadn’t taken much convincing, to be honest. They were all still worried about me. Ever since I found Queen Marin’s tomb, I hadn’t been myself. It was as if I was one beat out of step with the world.

So, as I headed for the diner in Hammerhead, I focused on the memory I had taken from Queen Marin. She had endured such horror in her final moments. Calling for her husband, her love, to stay with her. All she wanted was for him to stay. _‘All I wanted was for my husband to hold my hand as I died! But no, he couldn’t get past the fact he had another daughter; **we** had another daughter.’_

“Princess Neveah.” Came Cor Leonis’ voice, breaking me from my thoughts. He bowed and sat himself in the booth I had occupied in the back of the diner. When had I sat down? When had I even arrived at the diner? My confusion must have been plain as day on my face since the Marshal gave me a very concerned look.

I sighed, trying to rid my mind of the thoughts that plagued it, “Marshal, I asked you here because I need information.” I paused, holding my cup of Ebony a bit tighter.

Cor nodded and offered, “Of course, are you trying to find another tomb?”

I shook my head, “No, that’s not it. I…” I looked at him finally, tears stinging my eyes, “Something happened… something that I thought was just some bedtime story my mom used to tell me.” Absentmindedly, I fiddled with the ring. Cor’s eyes took note of it as I continued, “We were searching for another tomb for Noct when I fell through the floor, down a deep chasm.”

Cor jolted at that, his hands moving forward as if to protect me. But he stopped himself, gaining composure once more and said, “Go on.”

“When I came to, I ended up finding a door… a tomb. But…” I was unable to finish my sentence. How could I tell him a Queen’s tomb magically opened for me after my ring started to glow? That was ridiculous!

“Princess, whose tomb did you find?” Cor questioned, realizing it hadn’t been a King’s tomb.

“Queen Malin’s tomb.” I stated, looking in to my cup.

Cor was silent. When I finally chanced a look at him, I could see regret on his face. He knew about the Queens. Why hadn’t he said anything before? He gripped his own cup tighter as he let out a strangled sigh, “What did you find inside?”

“When I got close to the door my ring started to glow. Then the doors opened on their own and I walked in. Cor, I saw her. I saw Queen Malin standing in front of me. She told me to steel myself and then… then I took possession of her weapon, just like Noct does with the dead Kings.” I left out quite a bit. Unsure if I should tell him or not. I remembered what my mom would say at the end of her stories. She always warned me not to tell anyone; that the knowledge I had been given by her must stay in the female Caelum line, and only the female line. Knowing that it was all true… well, I just wasn’t okay with letting him know everything.

Cor nodded and said nearly above a whisper, “I suspected there was some truth to the stories. But to know that the part about the ring is true is surprising. So, the Queens have weapons too?”

“Cor, she spoke to me. She said… she told me that claiming the weapons of Lucian Queens demands a price no man could pay.” I recanted Malin’s words. They still haunted me. My eyes dropped once more to the drink in my hands as I continued, “I’m afraid I’ve started something that can’t be stopped.”

Cor felt the fear in my voice. His look was stern, but there was a softness to it that still managed to comfort me. He nodded his head and said, “Whatever has been set in motion has already been set in motion. You, nor I, could stop it if we tried. Better that you use it to better our chances of winning this war than sit in worry.” His lips curled in to a smile as he stood and offered his hand, “I know of one legend that places a Queen’s tomb near here. Why don’t we go see if we can find it?”

I knew that meant he would see what the price was. The memory that would forever haunt me as if it were my own. I knew that would let him in on the secret, and that wasn’t supposed to happen. But Insomnia was gone, my brother a wanted man, and there was little hope of us ever getting to Altissia to find Luna. Damn the fucking rules. I slapped my hand in his and said, “Lead the way, Marshal.”

~~

After a simple text to the boys, I knew they would be gone for the night. They would need to set up camp to rest before heading back in to town. Once they got back to town, they would need to have Cindy fix up the Regalia. This left Cor and I free to go searching for the missing tomb.

“Cor, how did you hear the stories?” I asked as we walked towards the cave system he had heard about.

He didn’t look back at me, just continued his determined walk, “Whenever your father would work late while you were young, we would drop by the nursery. Your mother told you those stories on the nights you couldn’t sleep. I remember hearing the one about the two brides and the Lark the most.”

I smiled at the warm memory of my mother holding me, rocking me, as she told me the rhyme. “It was her favorite story. The two brides, sisters, choosing to sacrifice in order to save the kingdom.”

Cor nodded and added, “You would always fall asleep to that one quicker than the others.” He stopped and pointed to an opening, we had found the cave system, “There.” I followed his line of sight and nodded, brushing past him to take the lead.

He grabbed my arm and stopped me. Before he could say anything, however, I spoke up, “My ring glows when we get close. It only makes sense for me to go first.” I gave him a wink and added, “Besides, you’ve got my six, right?”

He nodded and added, “I forgot how eager you get when there’s an adventure to be had.” He let go of my arm and followed me in to the cave. If it was anything like the last one, it would take forever to find it, but there would be few enemies along the way. The Kings’ tombs seemed to be the ones that dangers lurked around. The Queens’ tombs were so forgotten that even dangers didn’t know they existed. That didn’t stop Cor from adding, “Just watch your step.”

~~

_Two brides: one fair, one dark._

_On the eve of the battle sang a lone Lark._

_It was a sad and sweet tune that the bird hummed._

_And as morning came, so did the sound of war drums._

_Quickly, the army whisked them away._

_But after the battle, a steep price must they pay._

_For one was fair and one was dark._

_But only one could sing with the Lark._

_~~_

I took note of the etching that adorned the walls. Depictions of a meadow with willow trees scattered at the edges of a pond that rested in the middle of the scene decorated the walls. The etchings led to a door much like the one for Queen Malin’s tomb. The door had a willow branch on it blowing in the wind, and atop it sat a lone lark. The ancient script was scrawled above the lark and I knew it, we had found the tomb.

Sure enough, my ring began to glow, and the door rumbled. Cor pulled his sword out and ushered me behind him. It was endearing, how dedicated to protecting the royal family he was; even after all that had happened.

I placed a hand on his shoulder, letting him know it was okay, and moved to walk in the now opened door. Unlike the previous tomb I had stumbled upon, there was no ghost waiting to talk to me. Instead, there were two caskets in the middle of the tomb, side by side. The effigies showed that two women were buried there. Scattered around the tomb and atop the effigies were carvings of larks.

As I stepped closer to the caskets, I felt a cold take hold of me; as if it were wrapping around my bones. It frightened me as I felt my vision fade like last time. I reached out for Cor, in a minor panic, and asked, “Don’t leave me.”

My vision faded before I could hear Cor’s answer. The world went dark and my conscious left the world I knew.

~~

_I was locked away in the tallest tower in a forgotten palace. On the bed my sister slept. We had been secreted in the tower for our protection._

_From my place on the window’s bench seat I was able to see the approaching army on the horizon. The enemy was marching on Lucis because of us, my sister and I. We were to wed the King and his brother. We were to join the Lucian royal family. The enemies of Lucis hated the alliance. No one had thought, though, that they would be willing to wage war because of a wedding._

_But they were there, and they were gaining ground. I feared for my sister. She was so young. She had too much life left to live!_

_Our door banged open, one of the King’s guards standing there with his hand outstretched to me, “My ladies, come with me! We have to get you out of here.”_

_My sister rose from her slumber, panic setting in. Rushing to her, my arms wound around her. Her own arms clung to me as I hushed her. She was so young…_

_The guard insisted we hurry and when I shoved her in to the man’s arms she screamed for me as I ordered, “Take my sister to safety. I will delay the enemy as long as I can.” The guard stared in horror at me, unable to process what I had said. I stood tall and grabbed my sword and my sister’s shield, “I may not have been crowned a Queen of Lucis yet, but this day I will be just that. Take my sister to safety.”_

_The guard’s eyes glimmered with unshed tears as he bowed and then tore my sister from the room kicking and screaming for me. They hadn’t been gone for more than ten minutes when the door opened again, the wood splintering into a million pieces. The intruders sneered at me, realizing that my sister had already fled. The biggest one spat out, “Where’s the tiny one?”_

_I smirked at him and readied the sword, a small seax dagger that measured no more that two feet long, and said, “She’s gone, far from your reaches.”_

_He lurched forward and laughed at the weapon in my hands, “Stupid woman. That little thing can’t hurt me. You’ll simply be even more shamed as we take you to our King.” He pulled his own sword out and I just continued my smirk._

_He looked at me in horror as I dropped the shield and uttered the words, “It isn’t meant for you.” In a flick of the wrist I gripped the seax and plunged it in my ribcage, piercing my heart. As my body plummeted to the ground, I saw my hand fall, lifeless, to the ground. My skin was so dark, so deep._

_~~_

The world came slamming back to me and a scream ripped from my throat. My body bolted to an upright position. When had I fallen to the floor? One look to Cor, his eyes filled with worry and confusion, his arms held out unsure if he should touch me or not, told me that he had seen at least some of what had happened.

“Princess… I saw you…” He didn’t finish his sentence as he helped me stand.

I wobbled a bit but ignored him. I had a weapon to claim. The effigies were telling. A young woman with a seax and an elderly woman with an intricate shield decorated with a lone lark. As I took in the effigies I noticed the names. So the Lark was Olina. And the one that sacrificed herself; the Queen I had taken the memory from, was Thora. I let out a hollow chuckle as I held both my hands out. I had two items to add to my Armiger. And as I did so, I felt the ache that lingered behind me intensify. Now, the dull pain was shared between my abdomen and my chest. How many tombs were there? How many weapons were there to claim? If the ache intensified each time, compounding on the one that came before, I wouldn’t be able to bear it after too many more additions.

As I turned to leave, my eyes met Cor’s again. He opened his mouth, but closed it just as quickly. With his hand folded over his chest, he snapped to attention and bowed. He knew what I meant now, that I whatever I had started wasn’t able to be stopped. I was no longer a Princess. I was a Queen. And for the sake of the kingdom, the throne couldn’t be shared by the two royal children. I couldn’t share the throne with Noct. One of us would have to rule and one would have to step aside.

“Not a word to them, Cor. This is my story to tell, and I’m not quite ready to tell it just yet.” I managed to say. The effects of the memory was hitting me and gods I was tired. The Marshal nodded and scooped me in his arms. Even though I protested the gesture, I lost that fight as he carried me from the tomb.

~~


	3. Massage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damn Dualhorns blowing my secret!

_It was our first time making camp since the news hit us and… well, it was quiet. None of us felt like talking. When Ignis set food in Noct’s hand, he insisted that he eat. I watched warily as I tried to think back on the last time any of us had eaten. The last time I could remember was before the newspaper…_

_He just set the food down and curled back in on himself. Ignis sighed and insisted again. When Noct didn’t react, Gladio chimed in, “You can’t run off air. Eat the food.”_

_Noct didn’t move to take the food, he just muttered, “What’s it matter anyway?”_

_I was numb. The world around me seemed muffled as the Shield scolded my brother. My daddy was gone, and I still hadn’t felt the brunt of my grief. For days now, I had been keeping it at bay. Noct needed us to be strong. But my blood started to boil when I heard Noct snap back at Gladio, “Stop it! I don’t want to eat!”_

_I stood abruptly, my food clattering to the ground and startling everyone. In the heat of my rage that was bubbling to the surface I stomped over to my brother, grabbed the bowl of his food and gripped the collar of his shirt, “If you don’t eat this, I’ll force it down your throat.” His eyes were wide but soon glared at me. I gritted my teeth and added, “You can’t starve yourself, there’s too much at stake.”_

_He spat back at me, trying to pry my hand from his shirt collar, “What’s at stake? Insomnia is gone! Dad is gone! There’s nothing left!”_

_“With an attitude like that you’re right! Now eat the fucking food!” I spat back at him, readying to force it down his throat._

_His eyes glowed a dangerous red and mine matched his with my own shade of purple. His words were beginning to lace with venom, “Leave me alone, Neveah. You don’t get it….” He then shoved me from him, his food joining mine on the ground. The force with which he had shoved me sent me further than anticipated and my elbow landed in the fire._

_“Noctis!” Ignis scolded, rushing to my side._

_I stood immediately, leaving Ignis by the fire, and spat back, “WHAT DON’T I GET? I WAS THERE, NOCT! I SAW THE HEADLINES. I SAW EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID! SO, TELL ME, WHAT DON’T I GET?” I was vaguely aware that Ignis had broken open a hi-potion to completely heal the burn._

_Noct stomped over to me, gripping my arm harshly, “You think you get it? You really think you just **get** it? Everything’s changed, Neveah. Everything is different. Did you ever think I wasn’t ready? I wasn’t ready to just lose him. I wasn’t ready to be King. I wasn’t ready for any of this!” From the side the guys seemed unsure of what to do. They had never seen us fight before yet there we were, yelling and spitting hate-filled words to each other._

_I shoved him away, his nails scratching my arm as I did so, and screamed, “HE WAS MY DAD TOO!” That’s when the tears escaped. My arms curled around me and I tried in vain to keep my voice even as I said in a broken voice, “I wasn’t ready either, Noct.” They looked at me, all four of them, with hurt filling their eyes as I continued, “He was supposed to be around for a lot longer. He wasn’t finished being Dad yet.” The tears fell freely now as I trembled at the sobs attempting to rip from my lungs, “I’m supposed to find someone and that someone is supposed to ask permission to marry me. Dad’s supposed to make them sweat, make them think he’ll say no. But in the end, they’ll have a cup of Ebony and he’ll say yes because that someone makes me happy. He’s supposed to walk me down the aisle and give me away. He’s supposed to dote on his grandkids, spoiling them like he never spoiled us. He wasn’t done yet, Noct!” I felt myself breaking with every word. I felt myself crumbling as I whispered, “But none of that is going to happen. He’s gone, Noct… Daddy’s gone.”_

_In my monologue and tears I hadn’t noticed Prompto had walked up to me. I hadn’t known he was there until his arms wrapped around me. All traces of embarrassment I would have felt at my outburst forgotten as I turned in to his hold and cried. His strong arms held me, enveloped me in a blanket of safety as I cried in to his chest for all the memories I would be denied from making with my dad._

_What I couldn’t see through my place buried in Prompto’s chest was Noct as he picked up a new bowl and filled it with the food Ignis had made. As he ate, listening to my cries, he let a few tears fall as well._

~~

I woke with a start, grabbing my elbow that had been burned. That damn memory plagued me in my sleep and just wouldn’t stop.

“Nev?” Came the soft voice of Prompto. By the Six did he have any idea how perfect his voice was? He shuffled over to me, adeptly climbing over Noct and Ignis as they remained asleep in the tent. He settled himself down between Ignis’ back and me at the edge of the tent. His eyes pierced in to me as he offered to wrap an arm around me, “Had that dream again?”

I nodded and gladly snugged in to his hold. It was selfish, being that I doubted he felt anything for me other than a sense of duty to protect. But I relished in the fact he was a light sleeper and would comfort me whenever I relived that night. He pulled the cover up to keep us warm as I asked, “I just… I want my daddy back.”

He held me tighter and whispered, “I know, Nev. I know.” As his hands rubbed small circles in my back I began to drift back to sleep, a few tears rolling down my face as I did so. But even though I was nearly completely asleep, I could swear that I felt Prompto place a kiss to my forehead.

~~

I woke to the blistering heat of the day. Six it was fucking hot already, and the sun wasn’t even up yet! At some point in the night I or Prompto had kicked the cover off, which was fine by me. Anything to alleviate the heat was a good thing. But now, as I groggily woke, I realized that I had stripped some of my clothing in my sleep addled state. I was in just my bra and sleep shorts.

A quick scan told me I had flung my shirt across the tent. Perfect. No sooner had I managed to untangle from Prompto’s comforting hold than I lost my balance and fell atop the sleeping blonde. His hands caught me on instinct, though he was half asleep. As he opened his eyes, and grunted at the sudden loss of air thanks to my graceful landing, he took in his situation. There I was, Princess Neveah of the Kingdom of Lucis, half naked laying on top of him. My face must have been bright red too.

“Um…” I whispered, trying not to wake the others, “I need to get my shirt.”

His hands felt the softness of my skin and that’s when it sunk in, I was practically spilling out of my bra on top of him and his hands were holding me there. He let go in an instant and sported a blush of his own as he whispered back, “Yeah, no problem.”

I maneuvered off him and over the rest of the guys. My shirt, after flinging it across the fucking tent last night, had landed near Gladio’s head. If it had been even an inch to the left, he would have woken up! Astrals! But I claimed the garment quick enough. I didn’t want to dress in the middle of the tent, so I decided to risk the climb back to where Prompto was.

When I sat on my knees next to him again, I started to pull the shirt over my head when I felt a poke on my ribs, “What’s that?” The place he had poked was one I typically kept covered. Since I was embarrassed about the mark that was forever there.

I nearly ripped my shirt with how fast I pulled it down and muttered, “Nothing.”

Prompto raised an eyebrow, now completely interested due to my reaction, and asked again, “It looks like a rose.”

I sighed and muttered, “A Soulmark.”

His eyes widened at me and a smile spread across his face, “So, there’s someone out there with an identical mark? That someone is your Soulmate?”

I shook my head, “Kind of. Not exactly. Mom explained it that… well, my type of Soulmark has a mate, yes. But it won’t be identical, more complementary. But the odds of my finding that someone was slim before all this started. I doubt he’s even alive anymore. Or she, could be a she.” I muttered the last part. I remembered my mom being adamant that no matter the gender, they were my Soulmate and they would be perfect. What hurt was, the person I wanted to have the matching mark was sitting in front of me… and he just simply didn’t have it. If he had, then surely, we both would have felt _something_. Right?

Prompto nodded, a blush creeping across his face, and asked, “What do you think your Soulmate’s mark looks like?” He fiddled with his fingers, not really meeting my gaze anymore.

I shrugged, not really comfortable with our conversation either, “I don’t know, maybe they’ve got the stem? Or maybe it’s a rose too, a mirror image or something?”

We sat in silence for a while before Ignis started to wake. Thank the Six he did, I was embarrassed enough for one morning and desperately wanted something to distract Prompto from my Soulmark.

~~

A few hunts down and in to town to collect our payment we went. I wasn’t complaining, it was nice to get off my feet as Ignis drove us to the next location for yet another hunt. Noct was fiddling with his phone, same as Prompto, and Gladio was reading his book.

My phone dinged; one glance and I couldn’t believe who had texted me: Noct. My own brother, sitting to my left, had texted me.

**‘What happened the other day? When you found Malin’s tomb?’**

**‘I just looked around a bit, then split.’** I felt horrible lying to him. But I wasn’t sure what it all meant yet. Why worry him too?

**‘Bull, and you know it.’**

**‘Yeah, well, I’m not ready to tell yet.’**

**‘So, you did find something.’**

**‘I never denied that I had.’**

**‘No, you just avoided answering altogether.’**

I rolled my eyes at that and let out a sigh, **‘I need to do some more research. Next time we swing by Hammerhead I’m gonna ask Cor for help again.’** When I had gone to Thora and Olina’s tomb with Cor the boys had been jealous. They didn’t know what had transpired, but they knew an outing with Cor was a rarity, and for him to have suggested it meant something big too. Noct had grilled me on what happened and wasn’t sold on the poor excuse of a story I had given him.

**‘Another date with Cor? Wanna tell me something?’**

**‘Absolutely not! Get your mind out of the gutter.’** I shoved my phone in my pocket after silencing it. I was done talking to Noct! I heard him chuckle beside me and then settled in for a nap. Honestly, he was a great King of Naps. I took a page from his book and settled in, leaning on Gladio’s arm for a pillow, and started to drift off to sleep.

~~

Another night at a haven. Honestly, I didn’t mind. It was nice spending time under the stars. Typically, I’m the one up the latest, sitting by the fire late in to the night. Something about watching the embers of the fire dance under a star-filled sky made me relax. Or, used to that is.

I was once again the only one up. Had to of been midnight or one; and there I was staring at the embers for fear of catching a glimpse of _them_ in my peripheral. They had appeared when we got to the haven. Or maybe they had been there far before that. But, now I was aware of them. It looked like they were bits of film layered atop one another. Two ghosts haunting me as they bore the wounds that caused their deaths. Queens Malin and Thora were there, just at the edge of my vision. What unnerved me most… is they were beginning to look like me.

“Why are you here?” I asked them, barely above a whisper.

Malin spoke, though if I hadn’t of heard her before there would have been no way for me to tell who the voice belonged to in the mangle of ethereal being, “This is part of what you must endure. You carry our legacies with you now. Therefore, you take us wherever you go as well.”

I sighed, and focused harder on the embers, “Will you always be there?”

This time Thora spoke, “No, only when you dwell on our memories, our final moments. They’ve been haunting you.”

A sneer escaped me, “How’d you guess?”

Thora, or Malin, smiled softly, “They haunted me too. I had embarked upon a few tombs myself, before I died. I had only acquired four weapons before my time was finished on Eos.”

The realization that the ring I wore, the journey I had embarked upon by happenstance, had been worn and done before. Logically I knew that, but to hear the verbal confirmation from a past Queen? It struck me to my core. Four, four weapons. Four legacies. Four deaths….

“Neveah?” Came Ignis’ worried words as he zipped up the tent door.

I didn’t look to him, slightly fearful of losing sight of the figures in my peripheral, and said, “Yeah Specs?” I inwardly sighed in relief as the two ethereal visitors faded away.

“I thought I heard voices… was someone here just now?” He asked as he sat next to me.

“In a way, but now it’s just us.” I answered honestly, yet vaguely. It perturbed the tactician as he let out a soft grunt as my reply. He knew I wouldn’t answer further, unless I wanted to. And I did not want to tell Ignis Scientia I was seeing ghosts.

He joined my gaze at the embers and ventured, “You found something in Queen Malin’s tomb, and then found something else in the tomb of the two Queens.” He didn’t wait for me to affirm his words, he knew already. “You’ve been different ever since Queen Malin’s tomb. What happened?”

“I’m not supposed to tell, Iggy.” I shivered at the memory of Malin’s final moment. Ignis took this for my being literally cold and shrugged his shirt off, draping it around my shoulders. I wrapped up in it, thankful for the gesture, and continued, “It’s something that’s supposed to stay within my family’s female line.”

He nodded but questioned, “Then why was the Marshal with you for the last tomb you found?”

It was my turn to nod, “Turns out he heard some of the stories my mom told me as a kid.” I waited for Ignis to look at me then, and when he did, I finally peeled my eyes from the fire. “When dad would work late, he and Cor would drop by the nursery to check on me and Noct. I didn’t sleep well as a kid, nothing much has changed in that department. But apparently Cor and dad would drop by on the nights mom would tell me the stories of the past Queens. Mom’s favorite was the Two Queens and the Lark. That’s the tomb Cor and I went to find.”

Ignis nodded. His eyes held genuine concern. Even though he was Noct’s advisor and one of his best friends, the man still kept an eye on me. It was nice, being included in their group. But now that all this shit started, I felt myself being pulled away from them. Naturally. I was putting myself in a position to oppose Noct one day… not that I wanted that. But what else could come of me collecting these stupid weapons? What other reason was there for enduring those damned memories?!

“Neveah, whatever it is you cannot tell me, just know I am here for you. We all are.” He took my hand in both of his and continued, “I have been lucky enough to see both the royal children grow in to wonderous young adults. Noct is becoming a fine young man and will one day be the King the world needs him to be. You are a fine young woman and will continue to be the source of light your people need.” His thumbs brushed my knuckles as he added, “Whatever it is that weighs you down, let me know what I can do to alleviate any of the burden.”

“I-Ignis.” I stuttered, completely at a loss for words. The gesture, the pledge of loyalty just made was so heart warming my eyes stung with tears. A single degloved finger rose and caught the little water drop before it fell.

“I’m afraid I’m tired of seeing you cry, Neveah.” Ignis whispered. It was true, he was probably the one out of the four boys that had seen me cry the most. He had also been the one to comfort me the most. It started when we were kids and I scraped my knee after a bad fall. From then on, Ignis seemed to always be around when I cried; always there to console me. He smiled down at me, and after tucking my hair behind my ear, said, “Let’s retire for the night. Besides, Prompto misses his cuddle buddy.”

I blushed at that. Someone had seen us that morning!

~~

The small little outpost of a town we stopped at for some breakfast turned out to be a rather fruitful location. Not only was the food delicious, but we heard a rumor about a tomb hidden away in the cliffs. While I was sure that meant more caves, I was still happy to find another tomb for Noct. With full bellies and resources fully stocked we started off for the location that the rumor detailed.

“Here we go!” Gladio yelled as a massive Dualhorn charged us.

I warped to a vantage point before it could hurt me. I smirked as I noticed more coming in the dust cloud the thing had kicked up, “Three more on their way!”

And the dance begun. Noct and I warping in a mixture of blues and purples. Ignis’ daggers twirling through the air as they landed critical blows to the beast. Prompto’s bullets hitting the mark each time. Gladio’s massive greatsword knocking the thing back a few feet. We were a well-oiled machine.

I warped right on top of the first Dualhorn and sank my blade deep into its head. As the beast let one last war-cry out and began the slow free-fall to the ground I yelled, “One down!” Riding the beast like a wave I jumped to the ground and skidded to a stop before turning. The boys were busy with the other three Dualhorns that had been spurred on by their fallen friend.

Gladio landed a killing blow to one he and Noct were dealing with. Ignis was faring well with the one charging at him. Promtpo, however, was having the most trouble. It didn’t take long to see what was wrong, his gun had jammed! I warped over to him and instantly struck the beast with my sword. The weapon flung from my hands after the blade shattered under the impact from the things’ horn. Without even thinking I reached in to the Armiger and armed myself with the Lark’s shield and Thora’s seax.

My own war-cry ripped from my lips as I took the beast’s attention. I needed to distract it long enough for Prompto to deal with the jam. Clanging the seax on the shield and running away from the blonde, the beast snarled and dug in to the dirt. It was going to charge. I sank down, using the shield to cover as much of my body as I could, I readied myself for impact.

Gladio and Noct were helping Ignis, but as their Dualhorn fell to the ground dead they stared in horror as the one in front of me charged. One of its horns collided with my new shield they had never seen before. I sank in to it, leaning in to the impact like I had been taught, but felt something twist. I had no time to assess what had been hurt as the impact sent me flying straight up in the air. On my decline, though Noct had already warped to help, I wound up and used the downward momentum to sink the seax right in the top of the Dualhorn’s head.

All four Dualhorns were dead, no more danger to be had. I released the seax and shield back in to the Armiger. The incredulous faces that I was met with changed quickly to worry as I grunted in pain and gripped my thigh. Oh gods, the twist from before! I overstrained my quadricep!

“Nev!” Noct and Prompto yelled as they reached for me. Prompto was the first to get to me, his hands supporting my weight as I sat myself down.

“My… thigh….” I gritted through my teeth. Prompto nodded and shoved the material of my shorts up. Sure enough, my quadricep was knotted and twisted a good three or four inches higher than it should have been.

“Damn, it’s locked up tight.” Gladio commented, which earned a glare from me.

Prompto’s hands resituated my leg, allowing it to rest over his outstretched one before he looked at me and said, “It’s gonna hurt, but I can work the knot out.”

I nodded, knowing that was the only way to fix it. I wasn’t willing to wait for the muscle to de-fornicate itself on its own! Under normal circumstances, I would have been embarrassed that Prompto was touching me in such a sensitive area. I mean, his palm was working painful magic on the muscle that had twisted itself so high up that it was knotted nearly at the joint where my leg met my hip! As he dug the heel of his palm in to the knot his fingers grazed the hem of my shorts. He was so close! I couldn’t help but feel a heat pool. But, all of that was second to the infuriating pain I was in!

“AH!” I screamed as I felt part of the knot pop out.

“Sorry.” Prompto muttered as he continued working. The apology made me look at his face, unsure as to why he would be apologizing for doing something that was helping me. But that’s when I noticed, he was blushing! He continued working out the knot as he added, “If my gun hadn’t jammed, you wouldn’t have been hurt.”

“Shit happens.” I said before grunting in pain again. The knot was easing up, but it still hurt when Prompto would dig his hand in.

Noct had a skeptical expression as he quizzed me, “When did you get that shield and shortsword?” He was crossing his arms over his chest. The color in my face drained, realization donning on me. I had just used the weapons that I gained from the past Queens in front of them! What had I been thinking?

“Um….”

~~


	4. Itch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Astrals that boy left her with an itch she just wouldn't be able to scratch herself.

“No ums, Neveah. Where did you get that shield and shortsword?” Noct demanded of me. Thought he wasn’t older than me, I technically had been born first, he still had a commanding tone about him. He was the King now, after all.

From my place on the ground, Prompto still working the muscle out of the knot it had twisted in, I stuttered a bit, “I-I… well, I….” What was I supposed to tell them? That I had obtained weapons much like Noct was _and_ I was being haunted by the last moments of those Queen’s lives before they died?

Gladio gave an annoyed look to me as he waited for me to continue. Ignis seemed to be worried, knowing that the weapons Noct obtained demanded a price as well, nearly killing him if he uses them. But that wasn’t the price that my weapons demanded…

“Neveah.” Noct said my name with dwindling patience, clearly overwhelmed at the entire situation. His hands balled in to fists at his side as I continued to search for an answer. I had the answer, of course, but they weren’t supposed to know! Noct lot it, “NEVEAH LUCIS CAELUM, TELL ME NOW!”

Prompto stopped working out the muscle and stood, facing Noct, and came to my defense, “Hey! Lay off!”

“It started back in Queen Malin’s tomb.” I stated, defeat in my words. I couldn’t keep it from them, even though I was supposed to. They all looked at me, each seeming to hold their breath. As I sighed and looked at the ground I stated, “Turns out the Queens left weapons of their own.” Instinctively I played with the ring on my index finger. “The tombs only open when a female Caelum finds the entrance and has this ring.”

Noct knelt down and took my hand in his, twisting the ring around my finger, “Mom’s ring.”

Ignis spoke next, “Why does it only open for a female Caelum?”

Prompto knelt back down by my side, as if to shield me from another outburst from Noct. I smiled at him, before I answered Iggy, “The price that the weapons demand is steep. When I found Malin’s tomb I saw her… she was there, and she spoke to me. She said ‘Our Kings are asked to give their lives for their people. They are asked to die. Our Queens, however, are asked to endure’.”

Noct and I shared a look, one filled with pain and hurt. We knew that the price our Kings were asked to pay was steep. Our father was proof of that. But now, knowing that the Queens are asked to endure, he was terrified of the meaning behind it.

Ignis spoke again, catching on to my wording, “What have you been asked to endure, Neveah?” His eyes, through his glasses, were dissecting every word and their possible meaning. I could see the gears turning, the keen mind of his working to figure out what the price was. Gladio was worried too. I could see it in his face. But none of them could know what the price was. Hell, I still had a hard time understanding it, let alone believing it.

When I didn’t immediately answer, Prompto set a hand on my shoulder. His eyes filled with worry saddened me. I never wanted to be the source of such sorrow, especially not to him. Something in me hurt deeper than it should have after seeing his face. I placed a hand over his as I answered, “I relive the final moments of each Queen, taking the memory from them. After it’s over, I’m permitted the weapons.”

All four of them widened their eyes at my words. Noct spoke and asked, “You just see the last moments, right?”

I couldn’t bring myself to speak, so I just shook my head no. They knew. They knew that I didn’t just see those moments, I lived them. I had to endure their last moments. Everything in me made me want to tell them the rest. The ache that I felt. The figures I saw in the furthest corners of my vision. I wanted to tell them that the weapons were the ones that killed the Queens. I wanted so badly to tell them everything. But I just couldn’t.

I stood, somewhat painfully thanks to my thigh still being knotted. I wanted to reassure them all. But what was I able to offer them? What was going to make things better? I had kept something from them that, by all rights, they ought to have known. We were only going to make it through our crazy situation if we could trust each other implicitly. I had broken that trust.

As Noct nodded his head, more to shake whatever horrified him in his head than to answer me, he stated finally, “No more Queens’ Tombs.”

I looked at him, completely shocked. He couldn’t be that niave, could he? He couldn’t be that stupid! It was turn to shake my head, “That’s not your call.”

The look he gave me was harrowing wrapped in the glow of the anger rising in his eyes.

~~

I had made it not more than five yards away when Noct warped in front of me and snarled, “It is my call. Whatever you think you’re doing, stop. I don’t want you in any more danger than you already are.” His hands gripped my arms, shaking me a bit at the end to emphasize his point. His eyes were glowing, sure, but they held fear. He was terrified at what it meant for me to embark on an identical journey as well.

I sighed, and if he hadn’t been holding my arms in place, my shoulders would have sagged, “Noct, you need all the help you can get. That’s why it’s not your call. If I find any of the tombs, I am going to get those weapons. They can help you.”

His lip quivered, only slightly, he was holding back so much emotion, “Nev, we don’t know what the effects are for you. I just… if something were to happen to you. Cor can’t go with you to every one of them.”

“Noct, let me bear some of your burden. I’m here to help, if you hadn’t noticed.” I begged, my hands coming to cup the underside of his arms. I just wanted to help him.

His arms pulled me in to his hold, hugging me with a bone crushing force.

~~

_The palace grounds were filled with yellow tulips. Spring truly had sprung. My arms were quickly filling with picked tulips; I was making a bouquet to give to my dad. I was so happy with the warm weather and I wanted to celebrate._

_As I felt the sun start to bake my skin I felt a quick plop on my head. It was a hat, and it landed on my head with the bill covering my neck. As I peaked over my shoulder I saw Prompto grinning wide as he said, “You’re too pale to not cover up, Nev.”_

I blinked my eyes as I woke, ridding the lids of the sleep that had dried. Quickly I realized I was in the Regalia again. I had fallen asleep against Gladio once again, and he didn’t mind like always. The car was silent sans a few snores from Noct now and then. I sat straight and stretched as much as I was able to in the cramped back seat.

“What do you say to stopping in Lestallum?” Ignis asked when he noted my awake state.

Smiling, I hummed in approval and started to assess our surroundings. We weren’t that far from the turn for Lestallum. I hadn’t been asleep that long, just long enough to relive that memory of younger versions of myself and Prompto.

“Nev, tell me something.” Gladio spoke next, keeping his deep baritone voice as soft as possible. I nodded to him, letting him know I was listening, as Noct moved and fell over in his sleep. His head fell right in my lap, causing me to stifle a giggle. He was out cold still. Some things would never change. Gladio chuckled too and then asked, “You said that you take the memory after…”

“Living it.” I finished for him.

He nodded and continued, his jaw clearly showing his discomfort in that fact, “What exactly are they? Just, old ladies on their death beds?”

My fingers fiddled with Noct’s hair, tucking it behind his ear as he slept. The aches intensified with my focus directed on them. I could see an axe coming for my head… a seax sinking in to my ribcage. I shook my head in the negative and whispered, “Queen Malin told me her last moments wouldn’t be kind to me. She was right.” After I paused and started rubbing circles in Noct’s back as his dream took a more troubled turn based on his face scrunching, I said, “Queen Thora’s experience is the one I lived out when I went in to the tomb of the Two Queens. Her last moment wasn’t kind either.” As I continued to rub circles in Noct’s back he settled again, his face smoothing out.

From the front seat Prompto asked, “You live through their final moments, so in the memories you experience how they died… or… how they were killed?”

I nodded in the affirmative, “Yes. They aren’t particularly happy memories. I’d prefer not to talk about them.”

Ignis spoke next, “The other night, when I said I thought I heard you talking to someone… was it the memories?”

They were figuring it out without my needing to tell them. They weren’t new to this whole supernatural situation. The weapons of the Kings and the Astrals dealing directly with Noct, we had all seen the fairytale stories come to life before our eyes already. It wasn’t a far jump to this. I nodded and said, “I don’t know how to explain what it is, but yes. That night it was the memories you heard… in a way.” I was starting to get tongue tied, the aches morphing in to out right pain, “Please, let’s talk about something else.”

The three young men nodded, and we started talk of Lestallum, Iris, and an upcoming festival. It was fun, and I couldn’t wait to see the city again. It was silly, but the city meant a hotel, and a hotel meant a shower. I sorely needed a shower.

~~

“Finally.” I mumbled as I felt the steam from the shower fill and heat the bathroom. Iris had insisted on letting me use her shower. It was a gorgeous bathroom that was set up for a girl. Oh, how wonderous a thing! The luxury of a clean toilet, filled toilet paper roll, shampoos, conditioners, and body washes for days, and the best part of all, there was a massive bathtub that I was filling to soak in for the entire evening! The shower would be to get the initial grime off of my body and to wash my hair before hopping I the tub.

My clothes were beyond saving; threadbare and ripped, I would need to buy more in the market. The shorts were a bit of a bad idea, anyway, considering my legs kept getting cut up in those damn caves! But as I finally rid my body of my bra, I heard the sound that every woman loathes… the hook snapped in half. Great, I couldn’t bend a hook back in place if it was broken OFF! I couldn’t help the curse that flew from my mouth… That had been my last bra! “SHIT!”

I assessed the damage, there in my stark-naked state, and was only affirmed of what I heard. The bra was done for. I would need to buy a bra too.

A knock on the door sounded as it opened, though, and that brought me to my senses as I realized I couldn’t get in the shower in time! My hands flew up to cover my chest as I used my thigh to cover the front of my sex and prepared a glare for the intruder.

When the intruder was revealed, a very concerned Prompto, my glare softened. I was so shocked. What was he doing here? Oh gods, was he here for… had he known what he did to me when he worked my muscle out earlier? Was this really happening? I could feel the heat pool in my core and my walls grew slick. It was hard to not imagine him rushing me, pinning me to the wall as his fingers slid inside me.

Prompto, as if my naked body hadn’t fully registered yet, asked in a panic, “I heard you cuss, are you okay?” As his question finished, he realized that I was naked and blushing, HARD. “Six, I’m sorry!” He yelled and turned around but didn’t make to leave. “I didn’t mean to barge in! I just… I heard you yell, and I wanted to make sure you were okay!”

To say my sex starved brain and body wasn’t disappointed would have been a massive lie. But, knowing he barged in because he thought I was hurt warmed my heart. I used the opportunity of his turned back to grab a towel to cover myself with before answering him, “I’m okay. The hook on my bra broke. That’s why I yelled. Sorry to worry you, Prompto.”

I felt a pang of rejection between my thighs when he made to leave. “Okay, good to know you’re okay. Sorry for barging in.” The door closed even faster than it had opened and then I was left alone.

~~

Nothing I did scratched the itch Prompto unknowingly left me with. While the shower and bath were relaxing and restorative in nature, I was even more on edge after them. I tried, gods I had tried to scratch that damn it!

Thinking of his perfect blonde hair between my legs as that damned smile pressed in to my skin. His arms, so toned, held me down as he thrust deep. His lips tracing kisses across my skin. Astrals! Nothing worked! It was a scratch that I would never be able to scratch myself. Put simply, I **needed** someone else to scratch it. I needed Prompto to scratch it. I wanted Prompto.

_‘He’s Noct’s best friend. Stop it!’_ I chastised myself. I couldn’t do that to Noct. I couldn’t! Besides, the fact that Prompto had gotten away from me as quickly as possible clearly meant he didn’t see me like that. He hadn’t made a joke. He hadn’t stared. He didn’t even find a reason to linger. No, I just wasn’t was that beautifully perfect ball of sunshine wanted. Who was to blame him? I looked exactly like Noct, just with softer facial features. I reminded him of Noct… I always reminded everyone of Noct.

After getting dressed and drying my hair I set to braiding it. So, plopping myself on the massive bed in Iris’ room I started detangling the mess that was my raven colored hair. My mind wandered, and suddenly, the ache started to act up.

“What the hell, I wasn’t even thinking of you guys.” I muttered as I saw them appear in my peripheral.

Malin spoke, “I suppose you were subconsciously. But that isn’t important. I know a sexually frustrated woman when I see one.” She smiled a bit and added, “Tell us everything.”

As I ripped the comb through my hair I spat out, “I am not telling two dead Queens about my failed sexual exploits.”

Thora giggled this time and added, “If you’d like, I could tell you mine first.”

The thought of hearing her exploits wasn’t tempting so much as it was terrifying. The man she had married, the King she had married, was by all accounts a bear of a man. He had been larger than Gladio, and to be honest, the idea of sex with that man terrified me. Thora was so small, so petite, how had he fit inside her? How had she not split in two?

“Alen was so afraid of hurting me, he slept on the couch for a full month after we wed. It wasn’t until I practically forced him to be with me that he got over his fear.” Thora offered up. She smiled at me and said, “He was so gentle, shocking really. He was this massive man and had this god-like strength, but he was so gentle he wouldn’t have even broken a strand of my hair.”

I smiled warmly, feeling how much she loved him, “Sounds like you got a good man.”

Malin spoke next, “Riven wasn’t always the way you saw him, you know. We had quite a bit of fun wreaking havoc when we were younger. He was a bit… voyeuristic. He loved it when people would watch.”

I blushed and ripped the comb through my hair again, “I didn’t need to know that!” I couldn’t help the feeling though, as if their stories were mine. It felt like I could see myself stomping over to my bear of a husband on the couch and jumping atop him. It felt like I could close my eyes and see my husband rip my dress from me as he took me on his throne in front of his advisor. It felt like those memories weren’t stories but my own personal memories.

“So, what about you?” Thora asked.

“He’s my brother’s best friend. I can’t go after him.” I sighed.

“What if he has the matching Soulmark?” Malin stated moreso than asked. Of course they knew about my Soulmark. Just perfect....

A strong exhale through my nostrils preceded my words, “He doesn’t. If he did, something would be different by now. I’ve got a crush, that’s all. Well, a crush and an itch now.” I flopped on the bed, spreading out and sighing, “How do I get you ladies to leave so I can try to scratch it?”

Thora and Malin giggled, before the former offered, “Go get something to drink and focus on the one you can’t have.”

Malin offered next, “Or go to a bar and pick a partner for the night.”

“Such regal words from Lucian Queens.” I muttered as I decided the bar wasn’t a bad idea.

~~


	5. Complimentary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There they were, clear as crystal, complimentary.

My attempt to braid my hair was forgotten as I walked through the hotel lobby in the tightest pair of skinny jeans I owned and a black tank top that wasn’t coated in the blood of fallen creatures we took on for bounties. My last bra, the poor thing, was broken so my chest was bouncing freely with every step. My boots clacked on the ground as I made it to the tile of the hotel lobby, the door in sight. As absurd as it sounded, being told to find a bar to look for a partner for the night by none other than Queen Malin, I was going to do just that.

From the corner of my vision, thankfully, I didn’t see the Queens that were quickly becoming my close acquaintances. I did, however, see a flustered Prompto next to a chortling Gladio. If I could make it out the door before they realized it was me, I would be in the clear. The chances they wouldn’t immediately recognize me were in my favor. I never wore my hair down when I was with them. It reached my tailbone, so whenever I went with the guys anywhere it was either braided or thrown in a bun. Well, what passed as a pitiful excuse for a bun, at least.

My legs quickened, I just needed to get out the door! I felt my breasts bounce harder, nearly hurting me with the force that gravity juggled them with! Almost there! I could still hear Gladio chortling about whatever Prompto had said. The Shield was frustrating Prompto, and Six it wasn’t right how sexy he was when he was flustered! _‘Just make it to the door. Almost there, Nev. Just a bit more!’_ I screamed in my head as I had two feet to go and I would be out the door.

_‘I made it?’_ Was my thought as I exited the hotel, none-the-wiser to the random woman being the Princess herself. Gods, I made it! With the excitement of my sudden secretive freedom, I headed in the direction I had gotten to know quite well. I knew where all the bars were in all the towns we stopped in. It was the best place to pick up rumors for the tombs of the Kings. But for tonight, no rumors, just booze and hopefully an orgasm.

~~

The sun had set no sooner than I arrived at my intended destination. I was ready to drink just enough to drop my standards. I didn’t need a Casanova tonight, I just needed any random dick. The bar was dark, small, and filled with smoke. My lungs protested to the cancer-filled air as I inhaled deeply before placing my order.

“Jack and coke, please.” I asked as I placed a tip down pre-emptively. The bartender smiled, instantly noticing I would be a prompt and fairly good tipper. I knew this bar like the back of my hand. So, I knew that tipping early was a great way to ensure continued service.

The bartender nodded and got to work on the simple drink. As he set it in front of me, he leaned over and whispered, “Business or pleasure?”

“Pleasure this time.” I answered honestly. I had formed quite an interesting relationship with the man. I had instantly recognized that he was attracted to Ignis the first time I had met him. So, as a sign of good faith to the bartender that day I insisted that I was cold and Ignis’ shirt was the only thing that would keep me warm. Ignis, while feeling the demand was absurd (and it was), relinquished his shirt, leaving him in a white undershirt and his perfectly tailored slacks.

The bartender widened his smile and said, “Well, just let me know who you’re considering, and I’ll let you know if he’s worth it.” He paused and winked at me, “Or she.”

I sipped the drink and sighed happily, “I’m picky when it comes to women. Let’s stick to the men tonight, shall we?”

He laughed and stood straight as he said, “I’m all for that.” No sooner had we finished our conversation than some drunk man stumbled up to me and began a very slurred conversation. I rolled my eyes and downed the first round of Jack and Cokes for the night. I saw my partner in crime sneer his nose at the drunk suiter and so off I went to find prettier prey elsewhere.

~~

I was pretty sloshed by the time I gave up finding the perfect combination of looks and stupidity in any of the men at the bar. I was too gone to try for the women, and to be honest, none were even remotely my type. All I wanted was a little relief, why was it so impossible to find?

I tapped the bar in defeat and said, “Ring me out, I know when I’m beat.” At least, I hope that’s what it sounded like. Reality was probably less coherent syllables with less vowels.

The bartender nodded and said, “On the house. You good to walk home?” He was concerned for me, but I could tell it was coming from the right place.

Before I could nod yes, I heard a familiar voice behind me say, “I’ll make sure she gets home safe.” Oh gods… it was Gladio… I knew I was in trouble. His eyes, though, didn’t hold anger or disappointment. He just sighed, helped me stand from the barstool and whispered, “Do you really think I don’t know what you look like with your hair down?” I gave him a sheepish grin right before I wobbled. I heard his huff out a sigh and as soon as we were out of the bar, he scooped me up and set me no his shoulder like always, “Don’t puke on me.”

“I’m not that far gone, Gladio.” I slurred out. It was true, my speech was all kinds of fucked up, but my stomach was just warm, not churning. I found myself fiddling with his hair as he walked us back to the hotel. He smelled like leather, something that I found comforting. The Crownsguard all had leather in their uniform in some way, shape, or form. From as far back as I could remember leather always accompanied my being safe. With Gladio, it was no different. He was Noct’s Shield, but I always felt safe around him.

“Wanna tell me what made you go out?” He asked me as we rounded the last corner before the hotel.

“Not particularly.” I replied.

He chuckled at that and pulled me from his shoulder to his arms. I was flush against him as he kept me at eye level, my feet dangling, “Wanna tell me why no one in there was good enough for you, Princess?”

I shot him a glare before he set me down and ruffled my hair a bit. He offered his arm to me, allowing me to cling to it for balance, as I muttered, “No one was right.”

The giant man next to me nodded and added, “Because none of them were Prompto.” My head snapped so quickly in his direction I lost balance and nearly fell backwards. Gladio easily caught me, scooping me back up in his arms bridal style. He had the biggest shit-eating grin on his face as he said, “So I’m right.”

“Shut up, Gladio.” I demanded as I shoved his shoulder. He laughed at my feeble attempt.

“You should…”

I cut him off immediately, “None of that. He’s my brother’s best friend.” We both fell in to silence as he entered the hotel and carried me up the stairs. I was staying with Iris in her room so that’s where Gladio was taking me. As we passed his room with the guys, seeing as the door was open, I saw Prompto notice us. He jumped from his spot on the bed and rushed out to meet us. Great, as if my night wasn’t embarrassing enough.

Gladio smiled at Prompto and said, “Just the man I wanted to see. Here.” I found myself being passed quickly to Prompto as Gladio retreated to his room, “The Princess has had a bit too much to drink. Make sure she makes it to her room please.” Iris was in the room Gladio entered and he just plopped down next to her, busying himself with the book she was reading.

Prompto’s arms wrapped around my waist, holding me up and close to him. He smiled nervously at me and asked, “When did you head out? I didn’t even see you leave.”

I tried to stand on my own, but the ball of sunshine before me wouldn’t release his hold. We walked in tandem down the hall to my room as I said, “I didn’t want to bother you guys. Especially after earlier today….”

Prompto nodded and muttered, “Oh, that….”

“I’m sorry for that… I shouldn’t have yelled like that. I’m sure you got an eyeful.” I muttered an apology to him as he turned the knob to open my door. I couldn’t tell if he was accepting of my apology or still put off by it. And there it was, that itch and painful rejection all in one. I looked to the floor as he moved me to sit on the bed.

He knelt down and began unlacing my boots, working with deft hands as he said, “You know, it wasn’t a bad eyeful.” He had a blush on his face as he made his confession. He freed one foot of the offending boot and began working on the other as he added, “But I should have asked permission before barging in like I did. I’m the one whose sorry, Nev….”

“Prompto?” I said in disbelief. Why was he saying that? Was he joking? I didn’t know what to think. My hormones immediately kicked in to overdrive. The very reason I needed to go to the bar tonight was Prompto and now he was unlacing my boots and admitting he liked the sight he barged in on. Did that mean?

He stood after freeing my other foot completely from the boot and set them to the side, “I’ll get you a glass of water for the morning.”

He made to turn, but I caught the fabric of his vest and dared to ask, “Why did you say that?”

His shoulders sagged but he smiled nonetheless, “Because you’re too far gone to remember in the morning… and I needed you to hear it.”

That’s where he was wrong. I was completely sober now. His words made the effects of the alcohol disappear. It wasn’t romantic. It wasn’t like in the fairytales. He had simply admitted he liked my body. But I was willing to take whatever I could get. I pulled the fabric of his vest closer to me, the body it was on completely willing to move where I led. He faced me again as I spread my legs so he could stand closer to me, “Prompto.”

Before I could think twice, I was pulling him atop me as I laid down on the bed. He seemed nervous, but eager. His hands held him above me, but one hand did move to my side, “Neveah, I don’t think…”

I shushed him and said, “Thinking is overrated.”

He let out a nervous chuckle, “Neveah, I can’t do this… you’re my best friend’s sister….” He was trying to talk himself out of the situation. Even though his words said one thing, his hips grinding in to mine told me another.

My fingers ran through his hair as I said, “You’re my brother’s best friend.” When my hands reached the back of his head, I pulled him closer, “But like you said, I’m too far gone to remember this in the morning.” It was dirty. It was wrong. I was lying to him. But something in me told me I needed him. I needed this. I just needed Prompto.

His Adam’s apple bobbed before he tried to protest again. I muffled it with a kiss, my lips crashing on his in a still inebriated way. I was clear headed, but my body was still slow to react. I felt him kiss back, his hands grabbing my sides and holding me close. My own hands traveled over his body, any and every inch I could reach I wanted to memorize.

When we parted, he looked at me, a sad look across his face, “Nev… if we keep this up, I’m not going to stop. It isn’t right.” He paused long enough to kiss me again before continuing, “You’re drunk. You wouldn’t do this if you were sober.”

I wrapped my legs around him when I felt him move away. I smiled at him when he looked at me with surprise, “Prompto, I’m sober enough to make this choice.”

He shook his head, prying my legs from his body and standing up. He straightened his hsirt on his way out and said, “I’ll have Ignis drop off some water and meds for the hangover in the morning.” He was determined to be noble. Gods damn his chivalry!

I sat up, my hair a wild mess, and eyes wide in disbelief as his fingers gripped the knob of the door. No, no I needed this! I needed _him_. I scooted to the edge of the bed and to my feet as I let out, “I went to the bar to find a bed to fall in to.” It had the desired effect, Prompto stopped dead in his tracks. While I was in the act of bad decisions, I continued, “After you left me in the bathroom, I was so frustrated I did everything I could to scratch it. I couldn’t. So, I went to the bar because the one person I want… I can’t have.”

Promtpo turned around, all the color in his face centered on his cheeks in a blush. His eyes were wide, but I could see he wanted to know the rest.

I inhaled shakily before continuing, “Prompto, I’ve had a crush on you for a long time. But I didn’t do anything about it because you’re Noct’s best friend. But when you massaged my thigh and your fingers grazed my… then in the bathroom… Prompto, I need you.”

No more than a second later Prompto had me laying on the bed with my legs spread. His hips grinding against mine and his lips atop my own. His hands explored my body, making quick work of the offending clothing that was in the way. It took me a few moments to react, not fully believing it was real. But when I felt his erection press against my core I shivered in his hold. Gods, it was real.

When he parted our lips, he whispered in my ear, “Are you sure?”

I pressed my lips against his neck and left a lone kiss before I replied, “Yes.” And that was all the answer he needed. And by the Six, he was one talented man.

~~

Flashes of moans and thrusts, nail scratching and kisses flooded my mind as the sun broke through the sheer curtains. It took a moment for me to recognize the blissful twinge of pain I felt. A smile spread across my face as I realized the frustration from the day before was gone, along with that damn itch. I felt completely relaxed and well-rested.

Turning my head when I felt a shift in the bed, I took in the sight before me. There, in all his lovely glory, was Prompto Argentum. Gods, it hadn’t been a dream. He was sleeping soundly and seemed to be having a peaceful dream. Wait… Prompto Argentum was in my bed, naked, next to me? The memories flooded in as my mind reminded me of the events of the night before. What had I done? What had I done to Prompto? He was Noct’s best friend! I wasn’t supposed to ruin that!

When Prompto repositioned in his sleep, the sheet fell to the side and I was given a clear view of the man’s body. He fit and gorgeous. I could see the work he put in to getting the body he now possessed. There were stretch marks, reminders of a different time. As I traced some of them on his side a twinge pinging in me. It felt like something snapped in place, it wasn’t painful. It just felt right.

I realized the pinging had come from my Soulmark; just as I had touched Prompto’s side. My eyes widened as I realized the stretch mark I had been tracing wasn’t actually a stretch mark. Sure, it looked like the others on his side, but it was different. Giving a bit of a squint to focus my sleepy eyes I realized it looked like the stem of a rose.

The room started spinning when the realization hit me. He was… could it be that easy? Could my Soulmate really have been right by my side the entire time? My mind raced and thoughts bombarded me to the extent I didn’t notice Prompto wake up and smile at me. He moved closer to me and one arm pulled me to him, “Good morning, Princess.”

I squeaked at the sudden contact, causing a laugh to be pulled from Prompto’s lungs. I managed to lock eyes with him as my fingers were pulled back to the Soulmark. He noticed and gave me a quizzical look before I moved his hand to my Soulmark. Everything in me told me I should have kept it to myself. I should have just kept quiet. One day he would find someone that would be perfect for him. That person wasn’t supposed to be me. I was supposed to be married to some Prince from a neighboring kingdom and move far away. I had a predestined life; one that wasn’t right to force Prompto in to.

But when he realized what I was eluding to, what I was attempting to tell him, I saw a level of happiness I thought impossible. His eyes shone with a light that lit the room brighter than the sun ever could. His smile was so wide I didn’t know how his face didn’t split in two. His whole body seemed to be weightless as he looked between our two Soulmarks. It was clear as crystal now that we saw it. They were matching, complimentary Soulmarks.

He gave a happy sound and kissed my Soulmark, “Nev, is this real? This isn’t a dream, right?”

I couldn’t help but smile as well as I said, “I don’t think we could fake a Soulmark. This is real.”

He trailed kisses from my Soulmark, up my side, over my breast, and up my neck. I moaned as he let his tongue trial along my collarbone before he nipped the crook of my neck, “Someone was sober last night.”

I giggled as I wrapped my arms around his neck, “Sober enough to remember everything.”

He rested his forehead against mine. We stayed in that position for a few moments, just in silence, before he said, “Let’s worry about the fallout later.” He kissed me, deep and filled with passion. A passion he had shown me last night, but with a softness that hadn’t been between us before. Before we had been rushed, needy, full of lust. But now, I could feel how soft he was, how kind he was. He nipped my ear as he whispered, “I want it to be just us for a little while longer.”

~~


	6. Masquerade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It went over rather well with the boys. Now for a certain lion to hear the news.

He was attentive. He was kind. He was perfect. So why did I feel so horrible inside? I felt like I destroyed something between him and Noct. I’d seen it plenty of times with my friends… they would stop wanting to be around me and become obsessed with Noct. Sure, they never actually got with him, but it still hurt to lose my friends to him. I had just done that to Noct… with his best friend no less.

“Nev, come back to me.” Prompto whispered in my ear. He knew I was a thousand miles away, worrying over things that I couldn’t change. His hands held my body to his. His lips trailed kisses over my bare skin. I felt his hips grind against mine, asking for permission. “I know you’re worried. I am too.” He kissed the spot just below my ear, “But that doesn’t matter right now. All that matters is this moment right here.”

It was as if he were the royal, commanding me like he did. I spread my legs, wrapping them around his torso, as I kissed his cheek. I wanted to relish in him a little bit longer. I wanted the crazy that was my life to be at bay for just a bit more. Whatever was waiting for us, whatever the ramifications were, they were on the other side of the door. And neither of us were going to open it just yet.

I ran my hands over his body, memorizing how he felt. As my fingers grazed his Soulmark I felt it. The ache just out of reach. My abdomen and chest ached, and I knew what was coming. I was going to see them soon… not if I could distract myself from it. Not if I was able to keep them at bay as well. And though I knew it was wrong. Though I knew it wasn’t fair. I wrapped my arms around Prompto’s neck to pull him down to me and whispered in his ear, “Make love to me, Prompto.”

And make love to me he did. The man smiled against my skin and whispered, “Princess, I’m going to worship you.”

~~

It looked like the videos where a person is pulling a cat across the lawn by a leash, attempting to walk their cat. I was stopped in place, my feet anchoring me to the ground, and Prompto pulling on my arm. We looked comical, if I weren’t terrified at what he was doing. He was pulling me towards the room Noct was in. He was pulling me towards the room that held everyone else and I just knew that Prompto was going to spill all the fucking beans. He couldn’t keep anything from the boys!

“No.” I stated, my fear rising in my throat as I stood my ground.

He looked at me with a raised eyebrow, “I could sling you over my shoulder, you know that right?”

I shook my head again and said, “No, we are not going to do what you want us to. I’m not telling Noct I slept with his best friend!”

He laughed at me, closing the distance and asked, “The fact that we’re soulmates doesn’t change anything in your eyes, does it? You’re always think of Noct first.”

“You’re Noct’s best friend, first and foremost. I don’t want to ruin that.” I was a mess. There was so much about being with me that wasn’t fair. I was a Princess, and that came with some demanding shit. Events, banquets, public speaking, politics, and religious ceremonies. It required a schedule for the day, every single day. It required etiquette classes and reading… so much fucking reading. There were royal fittings and the like. It was too much to ask of him… too much to ask of such an amazing man.

His arms wrapped around me, holding me close. I folded in to him, relishing the contact as if it was the safest place in the world. He rested his head atop mine and said, “Neveah, please let me tell them. We’re all a group and we’re all in this together. Things have changed, but they’ve changed for the better. I didn’t know I was special enough to be pre-destined for someone. I was happy that I became Noct’s friend. I love the guy. I love all of them, Noct, Gladio, and Iggy. But when I became friends with you and the more I got to know you, the more I wanted to be around you.” He placed a soft kiss to my temple before he added, “I want them to know. I want them to know because they know just how long I’ve waited for this to happen.”

I blinked my eyes at that. He what? He waited for this to happen? He’s felt the same way for me? I just chuckled as I said, “So we’ve both been pining over one another for years and just didn’t know it?”

We parted enough for him to look at me with that winning smile of his and he said, “It was worth the wait, though. Last night was even better than I thought it would be.”

I blushed a slapped his chest, “Prompto Argentum!” I giggled and added, “You’re not wrong though.” He laughed too and then took my hand to continue pulling me in the direction of the boys’ room. I was filled with delight, but out of the corner of my eye I caught the sight of my two ethereal acquaintances and suddenly I was reminded that I felt an ache a half step behind me.

Hiding the worry behind a perfectly placed smile, I tried to set aside the fear I felt within me. The fear that told me something was going to happen… something big. That something was going to be irreparable and absolutely final. And whatever that something was, it made me fear for Prompto.

~~

_He just stared at Prompto. He didn’t blink. He didn’t react. He just stared. The words sunk in slowly, and as he stood, bypassing his best friend, he looked me in the eyes. It was one of our moments, one where we didn’t talk. He stared in to my eyes and just held the gaze. I knew what he was asking. He was asking if I was sure. As my answer, I matched his stare._

_A smile broke from his stoic face and he let out a relieved sigh, “Finally!” I was in my brother’s arms in a hug before I knew it._

_“Finally?” I asked, not sure what he meant._

_As he released me, he explained, “He’s had a huge crush on you from way back when you used to pick tulips for dad.” He turned and clapped a hand on Prompto’s shoulder before hugging him too, “Maybe now he won’t be so sad looking around you!”_

_Ignis and Gladio smiled. Iris jumped at me, hugging me with such happiness it almost felt like she had found her Soulmate. But, as Noct and Prompto parted, my brother looked at me again with a serious face, “You hurt him, and I’ll kill you.”_

_I blinked as I questioned, “Aren’t you supposed to say that to him?” I pointed at Prompto, who by all rights, should have had that comment slung at him._

_Noct shook his head and said, “That’s what they’re for.” He motioned to Gladio and Ignis, “If he hurts you I won’t get the chance. But if you hurt him….”_

_I flung my hands in the air and surrendered, “I get it! You’ll kill me! Good thing I don’t plan on hurting him, huh?” Noct rolled his eyes and gave me a look that said, ‘You better not.’ And then we all looked at our plans for the day. Noct wanted to try out his new reel he had gotten, Prompto offered to tag along. Where Noct went so did Gladio. Ignis and I decided it was the perfect time to resupply and search for new rumors of tomb locations._

_As we headed for the Regalia, I realized I needed clothes… I smiled as I bounced up to Ignis, “Hey Iggy, I need to go get some new clothes. Mine finally bit the dust. Could I have some Gil?” That’s when Ignis finally took in my appearance, and as the wind chilled my body he blushed and returned his gaze to my eyes. He reached in the breast pocket of his jacket and handed me his wallet._

_“Iggy…” I said unsure. He had given me the entirety of the funds we had._

_“That is from our last hunt. Get all that you require. Would you like me to drop you by the shops?” Ignis insisted. I was still stunned, unsure how to take such an offer, but nodded my head. Ignis ushered me towards the Regalia once again and in I slid._

I was so surprised with how well that had gone. Noct wasn’t upset or mad. I hadn’t ruined their friendship, and everyone was happy for us. I suppose it was easy to accept, considering the whole Soulmark thing.

“Is there anything I can help you with ma’am?” The associate asked me as I entered the shop.

I smiled at her and said, “I need some help, actually. My bra finally bit the dust and I haven’t been measured for a little while. Could you?”

She smiled at me and motioned for the changing room, “Of course. Do you have a particular style you prefer?”

“Not really, but I’m pretty active. Anything to keep the girls down would be best.” I replied with as we commandeered a dressing room.

She nodded and grabbed the measuring tape.

~~

Hands full of shopping bags, and Ignis’ wallet tucked in my new favorite bra (with most of the Gil still there!), I headed for where Ignis and I agreed to meet back up. He looked wide-eyed at me, hair thrown up on my head in a tie with a few strands whisping in all directions with arms filled. I must have been a typical Crown Citizen. He adjusted his glasses, pushed off from his place leaned on the Regalia’s quarter panel, and took half the shopping bags from me.

“I take it you had a successful excursion.” He stated as he set the bags in the trunk before taking the rest from me.

I nodded and said, “Sure did, Iggy. But most of it is stuff for you guys.” I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear and smiled. He took in my new outfit, a dark grey tank top with deep blue skinny jeans (the fabric was more akin to a jegging, but they had POCKETS!) tucked in to my boots. I took his wallet from its secreted spot and handed it to him, “You boys are wearing out your pants. I can’t have you busting the seams out in the middle of nowhere.”

Ignis blushed a bit as he closed the trunk and reclaimed his wallet. He noted the weight of it still and managed a smile at me, “You went to consignment shops, didn’t you?”

“For most of the stuff, yeah.” My smile back to him was quite shit-eating in nature, I must admit. I never acted like the prim and prissy princesses that attended those stupid banquets Ignis, Noct, and I always had to go to growing up. I loved bargain buys and repurposing just about anything I could. It annoyed Ignis sometimes, the way people would talk down about me for wearing something more than once to royal events. Or how they would think less of me because I rather glue the heel back on a perfectly good shoe instead of buying a new pair.

We got in the Regalia and began the trip back to the hotel. The top was down and the wind just right. After a minute or two of silence Ignis spoke up, “Neveah, I wanted to tell you just how happy I am for you. I know you’ve struggled with your Soulmark and finding your Soulmate.” He reached a gloved hand over and took mine in it, “I just wish to convey how happy I am you found him.” He then brought my hand up to his lips and placed a single kiss to my knuckles.

After he released my hand, I said, “Thank you, Iggy.” His kindness was touching, like always. He was different when it was just the two of us, on the rare occasions that happened. Maybe it was the carefree wind or just the good mood we were both in, but I ventured bravely, “What about you?”

The advisor smiled softly as he turned the car to park it, his hands gripping the steering wheel a bit tighter than necessary, “I think it may be a lost cause now.” He expertly backed the Regalia in to the parking spot and threw it in park before looking back to me, “I would love to find them, one day. Astrals willing.”

I nodded, completely understanding the feeling he had. I had chalked my chances up to null, afterall. I never thought I’d find my Soulmate. I reached over, hand upturned. He sighed and reached across his body to place his left hand in mine. It was easy to turn his hand upwards, palm to the sky, and nudge the glove out of the way. There, on his wrist, was a beautiful mark. It looked like an elegant dove that looked as if it was about to land, though there was nothing else on his skin. It was beautiful and for years I had been a bit jealous of his Soulmark. A rose was cliché, but his dove was so beautiful.

“Nev,” Ignis whispered, taking his hand back and replacing his glove. I gave him a nod as he said, “Let’s get your bags in the hotel room. Then we can go get something to eat.”

~~

Ignis went to grab us some food while I started packing the bags for all the boys. Noct’s bags were a wreck, his clothing just wadded in balls of fabric. I set his aside for last and just started folding the rest of the boys’ clothing before packing their respective bags.

My phone buzzed in my back pocket as I zipped Gladio’s bag shut. I only had Prompto and Noct’s bags to go. I answered the phone, holding it to my ear with my shoulder as I started on the former’s bags, “Iggy, did you forget my order?”

_“There’s Caller ID for a reason, Princess.”_ Came Cor’s strong voice. He sounded teasing; taunting even.

The way he spoke, the deep rasp in his voice, made me shiver. Flashes of a memory from a year prior made my face redden as I answered, “Sorry, Marshal. I’m packing the boys’ bags and didn’t check it. What can I do for you?”

_“I caught word of a rumor you might find useful.”_ He said after chuckling. _“Packing the boys’ bags, huh? I thought you weren’t one for domestic life.”_

“I had to replace some of their clothes, considering they were nearly thread-bare. So, I’m partaking in domestic chores out of necessity.” I couldn’t help but blush more at the teasing from the man. The memory coming back in full force. A masquerade a year ago, two people having imbibed too much alcohol, a forgotten shrubbery maze, and a quick tryst between strangers. “What’s the rumor?”

_“You might want to give the cave system that led to the King’s tomb behind the waterfall. The King’s Queen may be buried there as well.”_ Cor spoke simply, with little teasing in his tone.

“Thanks Cor. I’m actually in Lestallum right now. I’ll head that way later to check it out again.” I spoke in to the phone as I closed Prompto’s newly organized bag.

_“So soon to sundown?” His taunting tone turned to concern._

“If it bothers you that much then meet me at the waterfall.” I shot at him playfully. He was sweet, worrying like that. But I didn’t really need his worry. I was able to handle myself.

_“I’ll pick you up at six.”_ He stated quickly before the line went dead.

“Cor?” I asked, but received no answer, “Shit….”

~~

There we were, at the waterfall. I sighed as he checked his pack one last time. I couldn’t believe he just showed up, on a MOTORCYLCE no less, at the hotel and picked me up. I managed to leave without the boys knowing where I was going. I left a note and considering I had to silence my phone so I could ignore all the texts I was getting, I knew they had found my note and were not satisfied with the vague message I had left.

“You know, I could have handled this myself.” I stated as Cor slung the pack over his shoulder again. I handed him a flashlight much like mine to tack on to his shirt.

He thanked me and said as he set the flashlight in place, “It’s after sundown and daemons will be out soon. You need backup.” He paused and raised an eyebrow, “Why the sudden aversion to my help?”

I turned away from him and sighed, “Things have changed… it feels awkward now.”

I heard him move, but I hadn’t anticipated him standing so close behind me. His hands ghosted up my arms and rested on my shoulders, “You’ve never been awkward around me before. Even though we both have plenty of reason to be.” He took a half-step closer to me, flushing his body against mine.

~~

_I was sitting by the punch bowl, that had been pleasantly spiked by a Glaive with impure intentions. I was about six cups in and feeling like I could finally endure the damn banquet. I hated these types of things, but a plus side to this particular one was that I was able to be hidden as one of the many. It was a masquerade. My hair was pinned up in curls, cascading over my right shoulder. I had a deep green dress on with a matching mask. But what I loved about my mask was that it covered the entirety of my face and had a mesh over the eyes that hid anyone from seeing me. I could see them just fine, but my identity was hidden. I, Princess Neveah, never wore anything other than purple or various shades of black. No one recognized me! No one was paying me any mind._

_But I was done with the evening, having had my fill of nobles trying to flirt but in the most inappropriate way possible. So, I stood, a bit wobbly, and made to take my leave. That’s when a tall man with a strong body appeared before me and offered his hand, “Care to take a stroll around the garden with me?”_

_The voice was familiar, but I couldn’t place it. Looking at the man’s attire, there was nothing that stood out about him. Every noble had taken the opportunity to blend in. All the men, Noct and my father included, had worn a typical black suit. So, this man, with a mask much like mine that completely hid his identity, was a mystery to me. The fact he hadn’t asked to dance, or get me a drink, or even make a pass at me enticed me. The fact I didn’t know his identity excited me._

_I placed my hand in his upturned one and answered, “With pleasure, sir.”_

_He led me to the doors the opened to the garden, and as he did so I felt a hand find a resting spot on the small of my back. I took a chance and leaned in to his side, feigning a chill. He caught on to the fake moment of cold and pulled me closer to him. It was no mystery what we were going to do._

_“The night is so peaceful away from all that noise.” I stated to fill the silence between us. I noted where he was leading me. He was headed for the overgrown shrub maze._

_“Tell me, my lady: why was no man successful in gaining your company for the evening?” Came the man’s voice in my ear. When had he gotten so close to me?_

_“None were interesting enough. None were enticing enough.” I answered bravely._

_As he ushered me in to the entrance of the maze, he let me walk ahead of him as he said, “Enticing? So I am enticing?”_

_I walked ahead of him, swinging my hips unnecessarily. The mystery of the night, my inability to place the man’s voice, and the copious amount of alcohol I had imbibed was mixing to cause quite the arousal within my body. The heat in my core was increasing with each step the man behind me took. I peaked over my shoulder and said, “Enough for me to take a stroll in the garden with you.”_

_He leaned his head forward, and I could just imagine his eyebrows raising at my comment.  He caught up to me and placed his hand on the small of my back again, but ever so slightly lower, and said, “Hopefully enticing isn’t all I am to you.”_

_We continued through the maze and ended up turning a corner to find a stone bench in a small opening. There was nothing else, just the bench. I felt his hand guide me to it and I sat down with as much grace as my drunk self in heels could muster. He let out a soft laugh at my “grace” as I asked, “What about me? Why did you ask me of all the women that were there?”_

_He sat down next to me, his left hand still holding mine and his right resting next to my hip on the bench, “I’m partial to the color green.” He leaned further in and I could feel the intensity he was looking at me with. Even though I could see his eyes I could feel it. He leaned closer, giving me a very clear look at his mask. It was plaster over the planes of his face, but just fabric from his nose down. As he closed in to the point I couldn’t look at him, I felt his fabric covered lips ghost against the nape of my neck, “I wonder if I may be so bold?” He pressed his lips to the nape of my neck. His hand that held mine moved to hold my side, pulling me in to him. He whispered next, “Am I still enticing?”_

_The hand he had set near my hip moved now. I felt both his hands pull me to sit in his lap. My gown bunching enough to allow me to straddle him, but it did put a fair amount of fabric between our most intimate parts. I looked at his masked face and, though he wouldn’t be able to see it, smirked as I said, “Not just enticing, sir. I find you rather arousing.”_

_His masked lips pressed in to my nape again as his hands began unfastening the buttons of my gown. My own went to helping him. When I stood, removing myself from his lap, it was only long enough to allow the dress to pool at my feet. I could tell it took him a moment to get in gear again. He had paused, letting me know he was admiring the sight before him. I was completely bare, and I was ready for him to take me. I was ready to make the most out of the evening._

_He wasn’t far behind in ridding himself of his clothes, but when he went for my mask I leaned away. His head cocked to the side, questioning. I clicked my tongue and explained myself, “Don’t deny that a large part of the arousal is due to our not knowing who the other is.”_

_I swear I could feel his smirk as he said, “Well then, my mystery lady, come here.” He pulled me in to him and bent me over the bench. “I suggest you hold on tight, my lady.”_

_~~_

I jumped from the sudden contact and spun to look at the Marshal with wide eyes. I must have been blushing considering Cor smirked a bit before asking, “Sorry, that was out of line.” He shook his head, no doubt of the same memory, and added, “Please, just tell me what happened.”

I inhaled shakily as I forced my body to behave, “I found my Soulmate, Marshal.”

The color drained from his face and he nodded his head quickly.  I could tell he wanted to know more. And to be honest, that one memory had been our only time. Once we realized who we were, we knew it couldn’t happen again. That didn’t stop us from caring for one another. It certainly didn’t stop us from flirting when it was just the two of us on occasion.

I added suddnely, even though he hadn’t asked, “It’s Prompto. He’s got the stem to match my rose. And… Noct knows. He’s okay with it. The guys are happy for us… and… and… I’m gonna stop talking now.” I was beat red, I was sure. I just covered my face with my hands in embarrassment.

I heard Cor chuckle and then he said, “You haven’t changed a bit.” He walked up and wrapped me in a hug, “I’m happy for you.”

~~


	7. Queen Elinor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And from a betrayal, a mother's love saves all.

We had been in the cave system behind the waterfall for nearly twenty minutes when my ring started to glow, ever so faintly. Cor and I continued, moving and backtracking to keep the ring glowing. The brighter it became the closer we were. There was a small crack in the wall, just large enough for a human to squeeze through.

“Hope you haven’t put weight on, Cor. It’s gonna be a tight fit.” I chided him as I headed for the crack. A hand on my arm stopped me, though.

He smiled at me and said, “Let me go first. We don’t know what’s on the other side.” His eyes softened as he looked at me, showing just how much he worried over me. I nodded in response and allowed him to maneuver through the crack first. I started after him once he was halfway through. I didn’t want to lose sight of him. The cave was filled with imps and other annoying daemons, so splitting up wasn’t the smartest idea.

“I’m through, it’s clear.” Cor’s voice called to me. I joined him a few seconds later. The small cave we found ourselves in was beautiful. It was free of ice, with plastered walls that were decorated with depictions of a family. A husband and wife with a small boy. As we followed the plaster family down the wall towards a door, Cor and I saw the boy grow. And then, at the door, the husband held his wife, his bride, in his arms with the boy laying on her as well. It made me feel sad. I wanted to cry. The ring illuminated the door, revealing the ancient script.

Cor raised an eyebrow and asked, “Do you know what that says?”

I nodded, and as the door opened at the presence of the ring, I spoke the sad words.

_~~_

_A Queen and King celebrate their son._

_A decision from her past, an enemy won._

_Chaos and blood spackled the hall._

_And from a betrayal, a mother’s love saves all._

~~

_A banquet. A marvelous feast. Everyone was gathered to celebrate the Crown Prince coming of age. There I stood next to my husband as proud as could be as my son entered the grand hall. When he reached the stairs, I was unable to help myself. I stepped down to meet him, holding my arms out to the boy that made me a mother._

_I could tell he was nervous. He never liked being the center of attention. So when I offered a hug to him, he gladly took the opportunity to shield himself from some of the prying, judging eyes._

_He whispered to me, “Thanks, Mom.”_

_I whispered back, “Of course, Sweetheart.” When we parted, he offered me his arm and together we walked up to stand with his father. It was such a sweet moment, shared between just us as a family. But soon, we attended to the crowd._

_Before my son went to sit with his friends, I heard my husband tell him, “I’m proud of you, son.”_

_It warmed my heart to see this. Ever since he hit his teen years, he had pulled away from us a bit. That was only natural for a boy to push away in order to come in to his own. That didn’t do anything to ease the sting of not being needed anymore, though. Seeing my husband and son share a father-son moment like that did my heart good._

_As the night droned on, I leaned in my seat and tapped my husband’s arm, “I think he may have a girlfriend.” I stifled a giggle as he sputtered in to his wine glass. He collected himself and followed the direction I indicated in. Sure enough, our son was offering his hand to a lovely young lady in a beautiful grey gown._

_“Asking a lady to dance doesn’t mean that he’s asked her to be exclusive, Dear.” My husband retorted. Clearly uneasy with the thought of our son dating._

_“He’s sixteen and hates balls. He wouldn’t ask just anyone to dance. She must be special.” I countered his explanation. I was triumphant, too, considering my point that I had raised stumped him. Our son was not one to dance. He was not one to put himself in the center of attention. The Crown Prince dancing would put him smack-dab in the middle of all the attention._

_~~_

_“Seven dances. He’s taken the same young lady to dance seven times.” My husband said incredulously. Earlier in the night he had attempted to deny it. Now he was unable to. Our son had clearly made his choice._

_“She’s a lovely girl from a well-to-do family. She is kind and from all accounts a true sweetheart. I think we lucked out on the first love.” I reassured him before standing up. I held my hand to him, motioning him to take it, and added, “Now, I would like to dance.”_

_My loving husband smiled at me and took my hand as he stood, “Of course, my Queen. Let us dance and show our son how it’s really done.” I couldn’t help the giggle the escaped me as we descended the stairs from the elevated platform we sat at to the dancefloor. Our son and his dance partner paused, looking at us with smiles on their faces._

_We no sooner got one measure in to the new song than I caught of a flash of something out of the corner of my eye. Breaking from my husband’s arms I stepped in its path. I knew it was headed for my son, something in me told me he was in trouble._

_As I spun to face the direction the mystery item came from, I was met with a long chain wrapping around my body. It was metal, linked, and at the end was a short blade with a bur that sank in to my shoulder as the chain ran out of length to wrap around me. I was caught in it, completely at the mercy of the one wielding it._

_Screams and shouts sounded as in flooded dark, cloaked figures. We were being over-run! Despite the pain I felt I yelled for the guards, “GET MY SON OUT OF HERE!” The man wielding the chain-whip smirked at me, his being the only face masked in green instead of black. He gripped the handle of the chain-whip tighter and pulled, sending me flying towards him._

_The man caught me, spun me around to face my son and husband, and whispered in my ear, “Tell me, can your husband save you now? Will he choose to save his Queen or save his son?” He gripped the handle on the chain-whip tight, sending my body spinning to release the chain from holding me. I fell to the floor, but I wasn’t safe. He wound up and I felt the bone-shattering crack of one of the links on my arm. Then again, on my leg. Then again, against my ribs._

_Between the collision of the links against my body I noticed just how many enemies were within our walls. How had they gotten in? Who had betrayed us? Why was this man’s voice so familiar?_

_There were too many questions and I had no time to contemplate them as I felt yet another hit from the chain against my arm, this time shattering the bone with a sickening crack. The scream that ripped from me echoed through the ballroom. I saw, in the whirlwind of my own hair and blood, my husband strike down yet another foe in his attempt to get to me._

_A hand gripped my non-broken arm and hoisted me to my feet. The green masked man growled out, “See him? He can’t even get to you. How could you have accepted his proposal? He isn’t fit to be your husband.”_

_That’s when it hit me, that voice! I managed to look at him and muster up the words, “So, that’s what this is about.” I inhaled sharply as his grip tightened on my arm. When he seemed to be waiting for me to continue, I added, “How long has it been? Elyan?” I said his name. The name of my sweetheart from my younger years._

_“So, you do remember me.” He growled out. He let go of my arm and then gripped his mask, taking it off. There before me, before the whole battlefield that was the ballroom, stood King Elyan, an ally to the Lucian Kingdom._

_I growled out myself this time, “You and your army will be decimated for this act of treachery. You’ve betrayed us, Elyan. You’ve betrayed me.”_

_“You betrayed me the moment you accepted his hand!” Elyan screamed at me as he wound up his chain once again, “You betrayed me, Elinor!” In the moments immediately after his outburst, the chain collided against my body over and over again. So many of my bones were broken, but I knew if I didn’t endure it, if I didn’t keep his attention on me, he would find my son. I had to buy my son enough time to be whisked away to safety._

_~~_

_I crumpled in a pile down to the ground. In a puddle of my own blood, I groaned as I felt yet another rib break upon contact. And then the barrage stopped. Footsteps sounded as Elyan drew in. The whole ballroom faded to silence. I knew Lucian forces had won the battle. I knew the kingdom would be fine, that my son would live. I knew because Elyan’s beating grew worse and worse, more erratic._

_As the ballroom quieted, and Elyan reached me, I looked to my husband. He stood there, the last of the enemy’s forces dead at his feet. His features were distorted with fear and regret. I smiled, nonetheless, and whispered, “I love you, Dearest.”_

_I heard the head of the Crownsguard try to bargain with Elyan. I heard pleas and demands for my safety, for his surrender. But they all fell on deaf ears, like I knew they would. The moment I realized it was Elyan I knew he was out for blood. HE didn’t want to take the kingdom, he wanted to kill. He wanted to kill me._

_I felt him kneel down and I heard the rattle of the chain. I never once looked away from my love. Though our eyes were filled with tears, as I felt the bur of the chain sink in to the skin of my neck, I mouthed an ‘I love you’ to my King as he did the same. As my skin tore open, blood and air gushing from the new wound, and my body fight the now impossibility of breathing, I saw my King and his forces rush Elyan._

_My broken and battered body was gently hoisted in the arms of my love as he choked back a sob. He knew I would die slowly with the wound inflicted, suffocating to death. He placed a kiss to my forehead and whispered one last time, “I love you, my dearest Elinor.” He held me until, finally, my vision faded, and the world slipped away._

_~~_

I returned to the present with a jolt. A scream ripped from my mouth as my hands flew to my throat. Then, immediately, I began searching for my son. Wait… my son?

“Princess?” Cor’s voice was soft, reassuring. I spun to look at him, eyes wide with fear. I needed to know if my son had survived. Her son, Elinor’s son. Not my son. Cor watched as I frantically searched the walls. I needed to see the man he had become. I needed to know her son had thrived! I needed to know her sacrifice wasn’t in vain.

There, directly across from the tomb’s entrance, was the depiction of the husband standing next to the son and a beautiful woman holding a tiny bundle of joy. A sigh of relief settled my nerves as I collected myself, “He survived. Thank the Six, my boy survived.”

Cor caught my wording and asked, “What do you mean? Neveah?” Even though I should explain, just like all the times I should have come clean with all the men in my life, I ignored him. I just didn’t feel like explaining everything; especially when I didn’t understand it completely. But now, I was ready to add Elinor’s weapon to my Armiger.

And, just like with the others, an ache began in that odd space a half step behind me. Now, along with my abdomen and chest, an ache in my throat lingered. From the corner of my vision I noticed a new ethereal visitor. It was Elinor. She bowed to me, and as she stood her face seemed proud as she looked at the depiction of her grown son.

“Neveah,” Cor wanted to say more, and I knew it. But he respected me enough to keep his questions to himself. I just stood tall, like the Queens I was getting to know, and began the trek out of the tomb.

I shivered as the cold and the aches started to get to me. My arms circled me, but they weren’t enough. There were so many emotions running through me. The fear and the need to protect. I needed to protect my unborn child, my sister, my young son… but I wasn’t pregnant, I didn’t have a sister, and I didn’t have a son. All the memories were merging with me and felt as if they were my own. The emotions that came with them joined as well.

“Neveah, come here.” I heard Cor say as I felt his hands guide me to the safety of his embrace. I let all the tears fall. I cried for my daughter I would never see grow up. I cried for my sister that was forced to live life without me. I cried for my son that grew without his mother. I cried for the confusion I felt for this whole fucked up situation. I wasn’t a mother, nor did I have a sister. I was not married. I had no right, nor reason, to feel the way I did. But that didn’t stop my heart from feeling it.  

~~

Cor pulled up on the bike in front of the hotel. There, waiting for us, were the guys. All of them. My shoulders sagged and I muttered, “Shit.” I hadn’t checked my phone once since leaving. There was no way that I was getting away with this one.

I got off the bike, inhaling slowly to buy some time to formulate my explanation, when a flash of blonde caught me in his arms. I felt his whole body shaking as he held me close to his body. Instantly I felt how he did. I felt fear of the unknown. Fear of loss. What was this? Was this what it meant to have a Soulmate? To feel what they did? I hesitantly hugged him back, as if contact with him would make him shatter. He choked out finally, “What were you thinking? I was so worried!”

“Prompto…” I murmured, shocked at his outburst.

He added, “I felt how sad you were. I felt it… I thought, for a moment there….” So, he felt it, the moment that I died. The moment Elinor died in the arms of her husband. He had felt the memory, the emotions that surged through me as I lived it. He knew where I had been and what I had been doing.

Noct spoke next, “What’s the point in you having a phone if you don’t answer?” He sounded angry but I knew he was worried. Relieved too, considering his shoulders were sagged.

As Prompto broke our embrace to look me in the eyes, I said, “I’m sorry. Time got away from us.” Prompto’s blue eyes bore in to me, letting me know that he and I would speak later. But in that moment, I wanted to make him happy. I needed to see him smile. His worry and fear were mixing with the emotions I had taken from Elinor. It was quickly becoming too much. I tried for a smile as I added, “How was fishing today?”

Cor nodded to Noct and the rest of the guys before leaving. He knew I wasn’t going to tell them the real reason we had been out so late. Noct was adamant that he didn’t want me going for more tombs. But I needed to get everything I could to help him. So it would be my secret. Mine and Cor’s…

“You are unbelievable.” Prompto said as he let out a chuckle. His arm slung over my shoulders as he led me in the hotel. The boys told me about what they did, the fish Noct caught, and Ignis told me about the new recipe ideas he had come up with. I was all for finding him the ingredients he needed; they sounded delicious! It wasn’t long before the five of us fell in to our normal routine.

The one thing that changed, however, was that Prompto insisted I stay in the boys’ room. He didn’t want me to “get lost” again, as he put it. Gladio seconded the blonde’s motion, saying he would be damned before the only Lucian Princess wind up dead in the street. I rolled my eyes and grabbed a pillow before claiming the couch for myself.

“Goodnight everyone. We have an early morning ahead of us.” Ignis said as he settled in to the bed he was sharing with Prompto. Noct and Gladio settled in too while I fluffed my stolen pillow on the couch.

Gladio raised an eyebrow and offered, “Want my spot?”

I giggled a bit before declining, “Noct kicks in his sleep. No thanks.” I was comfortable enough on the couch and soon the soft snores came from all the boys. It was enough to make me breathe easy, considering since we settled in the room for the night, I had seen _them_ in the furthest corner of my vision. I saw Malin, Thora, and now Elinor. I saw three beautiful Queens that should be at rest, but instead were haunting me.

I could see them, and they me. Their faces were sad, filling with a pain I was only beginning to understand. The memories that I had to take from them, the emotions that followed, were horrifying. Each one had sacrificed in a way that no one should have to. The emotions boiled over finally and as my eyes closed to send me into a fitful sleep, a tear fell down my face. In the final moment of consciousness, right as I drifted in to a dream, I could have sworn I felt a single, cold, ethereal finger wipe away my tear.

~~


	8. Daisies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes a single daisy can spark a memory.

****

“Nev, come on. We’ve got a hunt.” I heard someone say. It sounded vaguely familiar, but I wasn’t sure. With a loud groan I rolled my back to the rude man trying to wake me and covered my head with the blanket. Before I knew it, my sleep addled brain trapped inside my body was hoisted off the couch and in to the air. A scream escaped my lips as my captor turned around and threw me on a bed, “Rise and shine, Princess.”

“Hey man!” Prompto yelled out. As I began orienting myself to my new position half off the bed, I saw a flash of blonde headed for me.

Huffing the hair from my face and blinking a couple times, I moved to sit up. Prompto was there, ensuring I hadn’t hit my head on the couple of bounces I took upon impact, and then to the man that threw me. It was Gladio. Of course, it was Gladio. Grunting as I popped my shoulders from the stiff sleep that held them, I asked, “You know you’re supposed to do that for Noct, not me. Right?”

The Shield smiled at me and said, “Amicitias protect and care for the royal family. That includes you, Princess.”

Ignis’ voice sounded next as he entered the room, “She did have a fitful sleep, Gladio. Perhaps waking her in a more… tactful way would have been preferable?” He smiled at me and handed me a cup of coffee. From the smell, it was Ebony. I welcomed the drink with gratitude as Prompto fussed more over me.

Finally, having had enough of the fussing, I looked at Prompto and asked, “You know I’m not going to vanish, right?”

The look that Prompto gave me, the despair that hid behind the masked smile, made my heart hurt. As if on cue, the room was vacated sans Prompto and I. He sat himself next to me and asked, “Where were you last night?”

I opened and closed my mouth a couple times, intending on fibbing to keep him from worrying, but I couldn’t. Something in me kept me from keeping the truth from him. I was compelled to tell him everything, “Cor and I went to find another Queen’s tomb.”

“So, what I felt was right. You died for a minute last night.” His hands took the cup of Ebony from me to set it aside. His gaze was intense and serious, something I wasn’t used to from the typical ball of sunshine. Shoulders set, blue eyes piercing, he inhaled through his nose and said, “I want you to tell me what happened. What was the memory and what was the weapon?”

Before I knew it, I had taken his hands in mine and asked, “Which Queen?”

“All of them.” He stated back. I made to protest, tell him that he didn’t want to know what I had experienced, but he stopped me. He spoke before I could try to brush his request aside, “Nev… I felt the fear you felt. I felt the pain you felt. It was really hard to hide it from the guys. I knew instantly you went to a tomb. I just… if this is going to work, you need to let me in. Especially when it comes to the tombs and weapons you seem intent on collecting.”

“Very well.” I said before inhaling to tell him the memories I had claimed. The horrors I had lived. The ghosts that haunted me. And even though I knew better, I told him how I was having trouble disassociating myself from those memories. I told him the feeling of betrayal when my husband killed me for birthing a girl. The pain I felt at leaving my sister in this world alone. The fear that gripped my heart when I woke and was unsure if my son had lived. I told him all those feelings, and the guilt that went along with it; considering they weren’t my husband, sister, nor son. And he sat there, listening. When I finished, and the emotions bubbled up, he held me as a cried.

~~

The bounty had ended up being more dangerous than described. Though we were settling in to the haven all together, we were far from in one piece. Ignis sported a gash on his upper right arm. Gladio had a nasty slice on his thigh. Noct almost certainly had a broken wrist. Prompto’s nose was broken. And I… well, I took the brunt of a massive attack in order to cover Noct, resulting in a massive bruise on my left hip.

“Nev, you need to let me see that bruise. I fear that you bled internally during the battle.” Ignis stated, motioning for me to lay down for him to assess my hip. I nodded to him and did as told. He was right, I hadn’t been able to take a potion until after we killed the last daemon.

“There’s too much pressure; you’re gonna have to make a cut.” I said, keeping my breath even as the advisor pressed gently on the bruise. Prompto was next to me, helping hold me still while Ignis sterilized a knife.

“Noct, I’m setting your wrist properly after I tend to Nev.” Ignis said as he placed a hand on my hip as warning. I inhaled and held my breath as he made a small incision. I hissed at the sudden pain and groaned out as Ignis pressed slowly to force the excess pooled blood out the incision. While it was painful, it was relieving the mounting pressure and for that I was thankful.

Prompto smiled at me, though his own nose was still broken, and said, “I never got to thank you for covering Noct back there. He was in some deep shit and none of us were close enough to help.”

I smiled back and said, “I’m used to being my brother’s keeper.”

“I heard that!” Noct shot at me as Ignis set his wrist.

I laughed out as Prompto started to bandage up my hip. The state of our merry band was pitiful but laughable, “Some royals we are.”

Noct laughed now, joining in my ironic revelation, and said, “We’d make mom proud, that’s for sure.”

We all laughed at the memory of Noct and I’s mother. She was such a proper woman, but on bath night, she would instigate bubble bath fights like no one had ever seen! It was the one time she would let Noct and I be messy. Prompto helped me sit up as I assessed his nose and I said, “She’s smiling down at us now.”

Soon we were all relaxing around the fire, resting our sore bodies. Noct was out cold, his wrist cradled in his lap. He was sitting next to me on my right, leaning his head on my shoulder in his sleep. Prompto was splayed out by Gladio while Ignis fussed with the fire a bit.

“So, where do we turn in the bounty?” I asked, whispering so as not to wake my brother.

Gladio, from behind his book, said, “There’s a hunter outpost close by. We can turn it in there and be on our way. The goal is still getting Noct to Altissia, afterall.” The mountain of a man peaked over the top of his book at me and Noct. Clearly checking that Noct was still okay.

As if on cue, Noct moved in his sleep, nearly sending him falling to the ground were it not for me guiding him to lay on my lap. I couldn’t help it, I started to play with the strands of hair that perpetually hid his face. He was so handsome, much like our father. I wanted him to stand tall and proud and show the world the man he was. But he used his hair as a means to shield himself. As I smoothed the strands from his face I said, “I hope Luna is okay. I can’t seem to hunt down any solid leads on her. When someone sees her in one place, someone else claims she was across the world in another place. There are too many conflicting sightings.”

Ignis cocked an eyebrow and asked, “That’s right, you and Lady Lunafreya are close.”

I nodded and said, “As with any royal daughter, I spend half my time in the courts of allies to ensure my education is well-rounded. Luna befriended me early on and we were inseparable from then on.” I felt sorrow seep in to my bones, and the aches intensified; signaling that the Queens were there. I focused on anything but my peripheral as I continued, “The sooner we get to Altissia, the sooner we can attempt to salvage this mess.”

The three men left awake nodded. We were determined to get Noct to Altissia, see our mission through. Gladio stood and said, “Let’s get the Prince in the tent for the night. We’ll need to get an early start if we want to get that bounty turned in.” He set his book aside and walked to me, easily hoisting Noct over his shoulder. My brother grunted in protest but fell back asleep instantly.

~~

I couldn’t get comfortable to save my life! My hip was still sore from the bruise and the incision Ignis made. The Regalia, despite being spacious, was still a car with stiff seats. In my usual place between Noct and Gladio, I resituated for the hundredth time. That was one time too many for the Shield as he huffed out and scooped me up in his lap so that my legs were curled up between him and the car door. I just blinked at my sudden position.

“There, now there’s no pressure on your hip.” Gladio gruffed out as he went to reading his book again. I was completely trapped in his arms.

From my squished spot in his arms I muttered, “Thanks?”

“Don’t mention it.” Gladio responded as he turned the page in his book.

~~

We got wind of another King’s tomb after turning in the bounty. We desperately needed to resupply our resources, mainly our health potions. So, we split up to gather our supplies when I took note of some wild ingredients growing at the tree line. They would be perfect for salves.

Before long I had a pretty good haul in my bag. The ingredients picked would make a good deal of salve. The next time one of the boys hurt themselves, I would be able to use them instead of a potion for something minor. On my way back to the Regalia, I noticed a flower that sparked a memory. I saw a single white daisy.

_The sun was high in the sky, heating the air to near unbearable temperatures. Yet, even though the day was hot, the daisies decorating the outside of the palace provided a lovely sight. Were anyone to have enough time, that is. Heaving a sigh and wrangling the messy locks that adorned my head into a bun, I asked, “Another round?”_

_The man before me, the stoic Marshall of the Crownsguard, nodded and asked, “If you’d like. But what’s gotten into you?” He wiped his brow of sweat and readied himself for another sparring round._

_I mirrored his stance and contemplated my answer. The truth? I was so frustrated. It had been two days since the masquerade, and I was still trying to get the masked man out of my mind. He haunted me at night, the memory teasing me until I’m a writhing mess attempting in vain to reach an orgasm of equal measure from that night. But I wasn’t about to tell the Marshall that. I just smirked and answered, “Maybe I like knocking you around, ever think of that?”_

_His eyes squinted as he lunged. Before I knew it, he had me on the ground, his body hovering barely above mine, and his hips between my legs. A blush crept on my face as he leaned in and whispered, “Maybe you should think before you taunt, young lady.”_

_In that instant, his lips so close to my ear and his face out of my line of sight, I recognized his voice. Astrals… is it possible? Was he? I tensed and instantly Cor Leonis hoisted himself up, as well as me, and said, “Apologies, Princess. I overstepped my boundaries. Please forgive me.”_

_I continued to blush, and gods how I wanted to whimper at the loss of his touch. I managed to say, after he stood from his bow, “You’re partial to the color green.”_

_The man before me shot me a confused look before seconds later his eyes widened in horror and a blush of his own spread across his face. His eyes, betraying the mixing feelings that he was experiencing, looked from my face, down my body, and returned to my face. He looked mortified._

_My eyes shot, for a split second, to the entrance to the shrub maze. Even though I wanted to run away, or maybe I wanted to rush to his arms, I cleared my throat and said, “I’m tired, Marshall. Would you be so kind as to take me to my room?” It was a formal way to ensure anyone that may have overheard us didn’t think anything nefarious was going on. It was also a surefire way to gain privacy for the two of us. Something about a Princess stating she is tired makes people leave._

_He nodded and offered his arm to me. We walked in silence all the way to my room. Once there, and the door was shut, I was stunned with what happened. Quicker than I thought possible, the Marhsall went from proper and refined to exacerbated and upset, “Why didn’t you tell me the other night?” His had came to grab my upper arm. The way he held me, the firmness in his grasp, made me shiver as I remembered the way he held me while thrusting inside me. But the fact was, he was speaking and acting out of turn._

_I shot a look that mirrored his, angry and upset, “Why didn’t you tell me that night?” The reversing of his question made him shrink from me. I didn’t like that he stepped away from me. But there was something important that we both knew we couldn’t ignore. I had a Soulmark and he did not. I sighed and continued, “I didn’t say anything because if I had you would have stopped. I just wanted someone to want me… not my title. I didn’t have a clue who you were that night. I didn’t know until just now.”_

_“Princess,” he tried to say something, but the look of helplessness in my eyes, the look of confusion that was even deeper in them, caused him to stop. He closed the distance between us and wrapped me in his arms._

_“Marshall?” I questioned, unsure where the warm embrace had come from._

_“I know you have conflicting feelings towards your Soulmark.” He smoothed some of my hair from my face as he parted us just enough to look at me, “I also understand that you needed to be someone other than the Royal Princess Neveah for a night.” He held me at arms’ length and added, “I would be a liar if I said I didn’t enjoy it. I would be a liar if I said I hadn’t dreamt about it for the past two nights. But, I would do you a great disservice if I ignored the fact that it can never happen again.”_

_My eyes fell from his gaze as I looked to the ground. Even though it wasn’t like I had grown to love him. We fucked two nights ago, that doesn’t exactly make a romance for the century. But the fact that his words were building up to him leaving made me sad. Like every man that ended up not having the matching Soulmark, he would leave, and I would be alone. “So, I’ll never see you again. That’s how this goes, right?”_

_I found myself back in his embrace as he whispered in to my hair, “I will always be here for you, Princess. I made a promise that I will be damned if I break.” I felt him kiss the top of my head before he added, “When you find that someone, it will hurt a bit. But I will be there for you, every day of my life until I die. If you’ll have me in that capacity.”_

_“Cor… could I be selfish and ask something of you?” I whispered in to his chest. When I felt the rumble of his chest when he said yes, I bravely and selfishly ventured, “Kiss me?” I needed desperately to feel wanted for me, and not a title or riches, one last time._

_I could feel his chest rumble again as he said, “It isn’t selfish, Neveah.” A single hand tilted my head up, our gaze locking together, and I could see his soft smile. His other arm that still held me close, pulled me closer. With my body flushed to his, he cupped the side of my face and gently locked our lips. It was sweet and the passion was subdued. But underneath, I could feel the lust he was holding back._

_It wasn’t fair to him, but I wrapped my arms around him and deepened the kiss. Soon I found myself pushed against the wall and his thigh spreading my legs. My hips ground on his thigh as his tongue found access to my own. His hands were holding my waist as our breathing became erratic. It was much like the night of the masquerade and Astrals my body was responding just the same._

_He parted from me suddenly, completely removing his body from mine, and said, “I’m sorry Princess.” He then bowed and left my room._

_Leaning against the wall still, chest heaving with my erratic heartbeat, I gently caressed the now warm skin of my chest and whispered to the expanse of my room, “Goodbye, Marshall….”_

~~


	9. Queen Eula

               We were by the beach, resting after a particularly hard hunt. We needed gil and the hunts just weren’t paying enough. The last hunt we took was out of necessity, though it was too risky. In a split second, I had thought I was going to lose Noct. Too much rested on his life and him taking the throne back.

               I was watching the sun set alone when I began feeling something new. It was doubt. I could feel doubt at my worthiness… no, not mine… Was this the bond? Instinctively I stood and searched for my bundle of sunshine. I could see him at the hilltop with his camera. He was taking pictures of the water in the setting sun. No one would have been able to guess what he was feeling. But I knew. I felt it.

               How long had he felt like this? Had he always felt like this? Before I knew it, I had made my way from the dock, past camp and the others, and up to the hilltop. Prompto hadn’t noticed me, which gave me the opportunity to take him in. His body toned and freckled, and his beautiful blonde hair made my breath catch. How had I gotten so lucky to have a Soulmate like him? Then, deeper than just skin, he was one of the kindest people I had ever known. The number of stories of violent Soulmates had haunted me from the time I was old enough to understand the implication of those stories. But before me was one of the kindest human beings in existence.

               “Any good shots?” I finally asked, announcing my place.

               A slight jump came from the man before me as he stood. His eyes widened at my presence, then warmed. The blue hues sparkled, almost, as he motioned to his camera, “I think so. Figured that we should have some reminders of the good parts of this journey.”

               I stepped closer when he held his arm out for me. The feeling there, tucked into his side, was perfect. I belonged there and was happy to take my place. When I looked up at him, I could see the doubt. That’s when I just blurted it out, “I want you to know that I think you are worthy of this. Your friends love you. I wouldn’t trust my brother to anyone else. Believe me, I think you are one of the best things to ever happen to him.” After a pause, I blushed at my addition to my speech, “You certainly are the best thing to happen to me.” He was stunned in place, as if he couldn’t process what I had said. Finally, I took his camera, stepping out of his hold, and said, “Teach me how to use this!”

               With a chuckle, he conceded and began the lesson.

~~

               “You guys go get our money. I’m going to collect some herbs.” I stated, as the boys headed for the Regalia. Prompto looked apprehensive while the rest seemed okay with my statement. With my hands on my hips I stated, “Prompto, if you stay, you’re holding the basket.”

               Prompt beamed a smile at me and ran after me as I waved the boys goodbye. We hadn’t had much quality time together, so this was a welcome change. Soon, we found ourselves through a patch of forest and atop a rock formation. The sky was clear and the wind blew gently. It was a nice change to the blistering heat that had plagued us for the past few weeks.

               “Think we have enough herbs? There’s got to be enough here for a dozen salves.” Prompto said as he looked at the basket full of wild herbs. I smiled over my shoulder, nodding my head to him, and then returned to look at the sky.

               “We’ve got plenty now. Let’s have a snack here, then head back to camp.” I offered as I walked to a flatter spot on the rock formation. That’s when we saw it, an opening in the formation. It was completely hidden from the ground. “Prompto, look at this.” I said as I inched closer and closer, intrigued at the new discovery. It was the entrance to a cave. So, the formation was the entrance to whatever lay beneath?

               “Nev, careful, you’ll fall in.” Prompto said worried.

               I snorted, “Okay mom!”

               I heard him set down the basket and say, “I mean it, you’ll fall in!”

               I turned to look at him, but also took a step towards his voice. That was a bad move, considering he had stepped closer simultaneously. As we collided, his weight outdid mine and I fell backwards with Prompto in tow towards the opening!

~~

               Two sets of groans sounded as dust settled around us. From above me I heard Prompto mutter, “Caves and freefalls… why is it always caves and freefalls?”

               I managed a pained chuckle as I added, “Get off me.”

               Prompto chuckled in reply as he hoisted himself up to his feet. Then, after assessing that he wasn’t injured, hoisted me up as well. There wasn’t much in the way of light, until, that is, my ring began to shine. Glowing purple, we began to see our surroundings illuminated. There, behind Prompto, was yet another door to a Queen’s tomb. With both my hands, I turned Prompto around to see what I saw as I read aloud what the ancient script above the door said,

_“A sunny day,_

_A mother and son,_

_An outing ends abruptly._

_An enemy arrives,_

_Under friendly disguise,_

_The future altered greatly.”_

               Then as if on cue, the door began to open. Prompto brandished his gun, ready to protect me from whatever evil may lay within. Only for me to place a hand atop his and lower his gun, “No, Prompto. What lays in wait is only a memory.”

               He nodded, holstering his weapon, and fell in step behind me. I could feel his hand on my shoulder, keeping me close to him. He had felt the effects of the memories before. Yet, he had never seen it. The only one to have witnessed a memory was Cor… he had seen the moment I had died; he had been able to see what I lived. I had no idea what this memory held, but I knew it wouldn’t be good.

               “Nevs….” I heard Prompto call me.

_Before I could answer him, I felt the cold and suddenly I was no longer in the tomb. No, I was now in a forest that was both familiar and strange to me at the same time. I smiled at the sight of my son learning to use a bow. He had been bequeathed the bow for his birthday and was learned to shoot the arrows straight. He mirrored my smile each time he hit the target._

_“Momma! I got a bullseye!” Yelled my little boy. I couldn’t help but smile at him._

_“Good job! You’re doing so well!” I said as I helped him steady his hand as he drew another arrow. With a bit of guidance from me, he landed a perfect shot. He bounced in excitement and giggled. Soon enough, he had loosed all his arrows, emptying his quiver. With a proud move he slung the bow over his head and on his shoulder before marching to the target to get the arrows._

_Things had been hard on Liam since his birth. I was the King’s second wife. His first wife, the first Queen, had died in childbirth. A new marriage was struck after the King’s year of mourning, and so I was sent for. The daughter of an ally to Lucis, I was instantly the choice. Even though I wasn’t sure I was ready to be a queen. A year into my marriage, I gave birth to Liam. He was a strong boy, but his elder siblings had a hard time accepting him. They all missed their mother, and saw their father’s new marriage as a betrayal to them and her._

_“Momma, watch me!” Liam shouted to get my attention. I watched as he shot his quiver again and sure enough, nearly every shot was a bullseye. He was growing rather adept at archery. It was one of the only things he ever did. It was also one of the only activities that he could be left alone for. If he were to ride horses, his sisters would be there. If he trained for combat, his brother would be there. Archery was the only craft that he alone was interested in._

_“Look who it is, little Liam.” Came the voice of the Crown Prince. He had a quiver and a bow with him._

_Before Liam could answer his brother I stepped up, “Christopher, what are you doing here?” My tone was soft, yet it was the tone of a Queen, someone he had to defer to._

_He bowed his head and said, “Nothing, dear step-mother. I just thought it would be nice to spend time with my brother.”_

_With a leary look, I stepped aside. I did not like it, but what could be done? He wasn’t outright provoking Liam. I had to step aside and let them interact, hopefully I was just being too protective. So, I sat down at my seat under the canvas that had been set up. There, from my shaded spot, I could only see them, not hear them. Worrying my hands over one another, I ordered my maid to run and fetch the King. I wasn’t sure why I was uneasy, but I was. No sooner had my maid left, than I heard Liam yell, “STOP IT!”_

_Standing instantly, I began to walk towards the two young boys. Something had happened and I was going to stop it. The closer I got, the more I could piece together what had happened. Christopher had taken Liam’s arrows and was holding them out of Liam’s reach. Christopher shoved Liam’s arrows in his own quiver and said, “They’re too nice for a kid like you. You’ll lose them.”_

_“Stop! Papa gave them to me! Give them back!” Liam cried out._

_I was within three yards of them now, and said, “Christopher, give Liam his arrows back. Honestly, you’re too old to be doing such a childish thing.” I was scolding him, yes. He was acting like a child, not the sixteen-year-old Crown Prince he was. “This behavior is unbecoming of someone that will rule the kingdom one day.”_

_Christopher turned to me and complained for a moment. But I stopped him and said, “No, you have done this to all of your siblings. If you were a child, it would be different. Your father and I will be discussing this. Now give Liam back his arrows.” I had nearly closed the gap between myself and the boys when I heard the King call my name._

_I turned to face my husband and bow, only to see fear on my maid’s face. The King seemed shocked, but more so angered. And then, I heard it… the sound of an arrow being drawn. My body turned to face Christopher, and I was met with a look of pure hatred. The young man before me had his bow fully drawn with my son’s arrow nocked._

_“How dare you speak to me like that! You’re father’s whore! Whore’s don’t speak to Princes like that!” Christopher screamed out._

_I looked to Liam and said, “No matter what happens, Momma loves you.” Returning my gaze to Christopher I said, “Do what you feel you must. The only thing I ask is you face the consequences like a man.” That’s when I heard the arrow loose and my world slowly faded from my eyes. I could hear screams and yells. Liam was crying. I felt someone hold me, and I knew it was my husband. As the pain began to subside, and my body began to grow cold, I simply reached up and cupped my husband’s face._

_“My love, don’t leave me too.” He whispered to me._

_I managed a smile and, with the little bit of strength I had left, managed to whisper out, “Take care of Liam for me.”_

_~~_

My eyes sprang open as a hand flung to my throat. I had ended up on the ground right inside the tomb, in the arms of Prompto. I saw horror struck into his typically jovial features. Sweat beaded on his forehead as I assessed me. He looked around the room before he said, “Is it over?”

               I sat up a bit, with his help, and whispered, “The memory is.”

               “Nevs, I saw everything. It was like there were holograms all around us. And then… you… who were they? What happened? I couldn’t hear anything.” He was confused and upset, visibly upset. I couldn’t blame him; he had just seen a boy shoot an arrow through my neck. That had to of been hard to watch.

               “That was how Queen Eula died. Her sudden death was a mystery for hundreds of years. No one knew why a young and healthy Queen had died. And the King refused to let anyone investigate, stating she died of a sudden illness.” I paused and looked into the tomb and added, “It makes sense now why the Crown Prince changed from the King’s eldest son to the youngest.”

               Standing and straightening my clothes, I walked to the sarcophagus and held my hand above the effigy. Glowing a vibrant purple, Liam’s bow appeared before I placed it within my armiger.

               “Nevs…” Prompto whispered and pointed behind me.

               Following his signal, I looked over my shoulder to see Queen Eula’s ethereal form bow deeply to me. Her lovely form seemed to exude pride over me as she spoke, _“You’ve come far, Neveah. I could not entrust my legacy to someone more worthy than you.”_

               I bowed the same to her and as I stood, she disappeared. Though I knew she would be back, like the other Queens…

               Turning to Prompto, who still seemed horror struck, I said, “Let’s find a way out. Then we can talk.”


	10. A Secret Becomes Known

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our favorite Chocobros (and Chocobra) head to reclaim their Regalia. Along the way, a secret becomes known to the entire crew.

We made it out of the tomb, back up the passage we had fallen through – with a bit of creative maneuvering – and to the safety of the shade. I watched as Prompto plopped down, the color still not returning to his cheeks. My heart ached at the sight, what was I doing to this man? And then, my throat began to ache the same as the resto f my body did when I thought on the Queens and their memories.

As if on cue, Prompto felt my unease and jumped to action. His arms engulfed me and pulled me down to his level. I buried my face in the crook of his neck. This was the first time I had been faced with the effects of our bond _and_ the effects of the Queens’ legacies that I was collecting. It was nearly too much.

“I saw it. Every bit of it.” I heard Prompto whisper in my hair.

“I’m sorry. I never meant for you to see that.” I whispered back. Something about the entire situation was just wrong with him in the mix. I knew that others could see at least parts of the memory if they were there with me, but I had no idea Prompto would see everything. He saw the moment my step-son killed me. He saw the moment I entrusted my son to the King, my husband. He saw the moment I died.

“Nev… I…” he was at a loss for words. As was I. I just knew I hated feeling how sad he was. We just sat there, in each other’s arms, in silence.

~~

*A few days later*

The fight was intense, to say the least. As I landed a blow to yet another MT I yelled at the boys, “All this for a damn car!”

“NEV, GET DOWN!” Prompto’s panicked voice came to my ears as I found myself being taken to the ground by a solid body. Prompto’s body shielded me from a massive explosion. His arms engulfed me in a type of safety I hadn’t known before: safety intertwined with a love so strong I almost couldn’t breathe. Was that truly how he felt? Could he really love me after being together for such a short amount of time?

As Prompto sat up, and assessing that I was fine, he said, “Dude… that… was hardcore!” I saw him smile at Noct. Of course he thought the massive explosion was hardcore. Just, of course.

Iggy added, “And it did the trick – the place is dead.”

As I stood with the help of Prompto, I gripped the ends of my hair to snuff out the embers that had lit my locks and muttered, “Same as my hair.”

Gladio chuckled and patted my back, “Rest in pieces. C’mon, let’s grab the Regalia and split.”

I continued to fuss with my hair as we rushed for the Regalia. As I drowned out the boys and their talk of bust-o-base or whatever it was, I contemplated how many washings it would take to get the singed smell out of my hair. At least it hadn’t burned my hair off. But seriously, it had taken years to grow it out!

I still wasn’t paying attention to the boys when we saw the Regalia. I rushed up to it, arriving first, and nearly had the rear door open when I felt Prompto’s emotion go from happy to worried. Before he would speak, I turned to see what had upset him. And there it was… _he_ was… Ravus….

“Guys?” Came Prompto’s uneasy voice.

The boys turned around, facing the same direction as me now. When Noct inhaled we heard the newcomer speak, “Long has it been, Noctis.”

With eyes squinted, Noct replied, “Ravus.”

His sword was drawn as he continued his way towards us. Iggy moved to stand in front of me. As I placed a hand on Iggy’s back I did my best to see what was going on. Something that hadn’t been discussed with the Gladio or Prompto was the fact that Noct wasn’t the only royal that was to marry for the sake of peace. I was declared Ravus’ betrothed not long after Noct had publically become betrothed to Luna. My betrothal, however, wasn’t to be announced until after the union between Noct and Luna.

_“You want me to what?” I asked. My voice seemed hollow. I wasn’t sure what had gotten in to my father. He had been so intent on finding my soulmate. What changed?_

_With sad, yet stern, eyes my father let out a sigh and said, “Neveah, we are royalty. If this were a time of peace perhaps things would be different. We must all play our part for the sake of this Kingdom.”_

Ravus’ voice broke me from my memory as he cleared the distance between him and Noct, “You receive the Storm’s blessing and yet, you know nothing of the consequences.” That’s when Ravus pointed his sword at my brother. The tip nearly piercing his skin! I made to move.

“Watch it.” Gladio stepped forward, only to have Ravus’ sword put to his own neck.

“Be still. All of you.” Ravus demanded of us, though I doubted he had seen me.

“Not good.” Prompto muttered.

“Heir to a crown befitting no other.” Ravus stated, looking at his robotic arm. “Witness his splendor and glory. All hail the Chosen King.”

Noct’s fists griped at his sides as he spat back, “Awful high and mighty for an imperial rat, serving the enemy to hunt down Luna!”

Anger burst from Ravus as he gripped Noct’s neck in his hand and countered, “I do not serve, I command!” With his sword lowered, he shoved Noct away. Giving Gladio the chance to step between the two. Ravus sized up Gladio and said, “The King’s sworn Shield.”

“You better believe it.”

“A weak shield protects naught.” Ravus stated as he wound up his blade.

From my place hidden behind Specs I couldn’t see the fight. I only heard yells as Gladio flew back and collided with the Regalia. That’s when I had enough of being hidden. With Prompto checking on Gladio and Iggy stepping closer to Noct, I stepped to the front and allowed the anger and shock I felt lace my words, “RAVUS! STOP!”

The man before me stood still for a moment. His eyes assessed me, realizing that this was the first time since our betrothal we had seen each other in person. In his eyes, I saw something akin to hope in them; but only for a moment. He squashed the emotion and stated, “I see you are unharmed, for the most part.”

I nodded, “Yes, thanks to Noct.”

Ravus grimaced as he replied, “I see.” He paused, looked at Noct, then back to me, “Why have you not fled?” He stepped closer, his hand stretching toward me, and added, “You are in grave danger here.”

I matched each of his steps forward with a step backward on my part. He stopped, seeing my unease with his proximity, and stood still. The anger the I felt at his statement… the audacity he had for such words! Venom dripped from my words as I nearly screamed, “Who put me in grave danger? Who put my whole family in grave danger?”

“Neveah….” Ravus began, only to be cut off.

“YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO SUCH FAMILIAR TERMS!” I screamed as my armiger appeared, my weapons circling around me. Ravus staggered back a bit as I stepped forward, “YOU ARE THE REASON MY FAMILY WAS HURT! YOU ARE THE REASON MY BROTHER IS IN DANGER! YOUR NEW FRIEND KILLED MY FATHER!” I grabbed the chain whip from my armiger, only to be stopped by a familiar voice.

“I’d say that’s far enough.” Came the velvet voice of Ardyn. Ravus backed off, looking to the ground instead of at me anymore as Ardyn spoke, “A hand, highnesses?”

Noct spat out, “Not from you.”

“Oh, but I’m here to help.”

Iggy spoke next as Prompto took my hand in his to calm me down, “And how is that?” Ravus noticed Prompto’s gesture and his expression saddened.

With a wave of his hand in Ravus’ direction, Ardyn stated, “By taking the army away. When next we meet, it’ll be across the seas.” I ignored the man as I looked at Prompto. I needed to calm down and he was helping. The calming blue of the man’s eyes helped me douse the flames of rage inside of me. I was able to breathe again. My attention only returned to Ardyn when I felt my free hand be taken and kissed. Looking at the man with shocked eyes, I heard him say, “Fare thee well, Your Highness, and safe travels.”

I watched at Ravus’ form walked from sight. Prompto immediately asked, “You guys know that guy?” His hold on my hand grew tighter.

All of the boys nodded as I stated, “Ravus Nox Fleuret, first son of Tenebrae and elder brother to Lady Lunafreya… and my betrothed.”

The look on Promptro’s face told me that once we were alone, I had a shit ton of explaining to do.

~~

We were back in Lestallum, in a room by ourselves, and gods knew I wanted to be anywhere else. Prompto had locked the door and in two quick steps slammed his fists on the dresser, facing away from me. I sat there, on the edge of the bed, and waited for him to speak.

After five minutes of solid silence, with hunched shoulders, Prompto asked, “How long have you been betrothed?” He still wasn’t facing me.

“It was decided nearly the same time it was decided for Noct and Luna to wed.” I stated, carefully holding my fear inside.

His head hung then, as if defeated, “Why wasn’t it announced?”

I began to wring my hands as I answered, “It was to be announced after Noct and Luna wed.” I jumped when Prompto punched the dresser again and spun to face me.

His eyes were a burning blue I had never seen before. I had never seen anger fill his eyes. But before me, there stood a man filled with rage and hurt, “WHY DIDN’T YOU SAY ANYTHING?”

With an arm up, as if to protect from in incoming blow, I replied, “It didn’t matter anymore…”

"IT DIDN’T MATTER ANYMORE? NEVEAH, YOU’RE ENGAGED TO RAVUS, BUT I’M YOUR SOULMATE!” Prompto yelled out as he closed the distance between us. His hands grabbed my arms and stood me up, “I DESERVED TO KNOW!”

Instantly I broke his hold and my anger got the better of me, “HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO TELL THE MAN I LOVE THAT I’M ENGAGED TO ANOTHER?” The shock in his face caused the both of us to settle into a tense silence. Gods… had I just… I just told him that I love him….

The rage in his eyes subsided to one of pure love as he pulled me in his hold, “I love you too, Nev.”

~~


End file.
